Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
by Soronme
Summary: The future is always in motion and so is our Doc.
1. Chapter 1-The Chrysalis

**_Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes_**

**_By Soronúme_**

**Disclaimer: The story and characters of Doc Martin belong to Buffalo Pictures. No infringement of their rights in any way, shape or form is intended. The names and places used in this story may be real but the people and situations are entirely fictional and any similarities to real persons and situations are unintentional. This work of fiction is presented for personal enjoyment and contemplation.**

**_Chapter 1: The Chrysalis_**

It's been five long years since that dreadful day at the Castle.

Louisa and I were married shortly afterward. I gave up my position at Imperial and stayed as Port Wenn's GP for Louisa and James Henry. I loved them so much I was willing to stay in what I considered the village of the damned to be with them. Thoroughly disgusted with me for being so 'stupid' because I was giving up my career for Louisa my Aunt Ruth had moved back to London and rented out the farm to Al. I only hear from her at Christmas in the form of a Christmas card. Al took over Aunt Joan's work of providing the community with fresh, organic fruit and veg and running a B&B. Pauline had moved back to Port Wenn after completing her training and was working over at High Trees. She and Al had married soon after and they have a little boy who is the delight of his grandfather Burt.

Louisa and I had one good year, one horrible year full of misunderstandings, anger, arguments and many nights sleeping on the sofa. No matter how hard I tried I could never quite understand nor please her and it all ended with me moving back into the surgery and Louisa demanding a divorce. About a year ago she met a man at a teacher's conference in Truro. He is a widower with two daughters and two sons of his own. They plan to marry in a couple of months according to the wedding invitation Louisa sent me. There is no bitterness on my part concerning our divorce, we were just not meant to be. My Auntie Joan was right-we were chalk and cheese and a disaster waiting to happen. We really do not talk too often anymore, we greet each other when we run into each other at the shops and we do discuss matters that involve James Henry.

The one good thing that came of my years of Port Wenn purgatory and the sometimes glorious relationship with Louisa was my son. He is growing up into an exceptionally intelligent lad who has all the best traits of both of his parents. He is almost a stamped out miniature of me physically. He is going to probably end up being my height, has blond hair, grey eyes, full lips (but not as full as mine) and thankfully he has his mother's ears. I love him with a depth of feeling that I never knew was possible in me. Fortunately we worked out an agreement that allows me to still be involved in his life as his father and despite all that transpired in our marriage we did our very best to keep our adult problems out of his life. He was initially upset and confused by the situation but that has lessened over time and it appears that he is coming out of it relatively unscathed all things considered. He knows that both his parents love him very much.

Due to all of this staying in Port Wenn was becoming rather unbearable. Port Wenn is a nosey, backbiting, gossip riddled environment with sides to be taken and scores to be settled. I had never been at the top of the popularity list here and with our divorce things became much worse.

After turning down the post at Imperial I made the effort to keep my skills intact, my knowledge current and my credentials up to date by performing surgeries on a part time/as needed basis at Royal Cornwall. Chris was instrumental in arranging this and for that I am grateful. However it became obvious to me while doing so that I could never return to surgery on a full time basis without enduring the same kinds of abuse I was subjected to in Port Wenn. The surgical community has much in common with Port Wenn except that the abuse is of a different nature and harder to bear.

I took about as much this as I could until it was getting to the point where I really could not tolerate it for much longer. I was feeling cornered, trapped and very much alone. One day as I was walking down the street I heard a bit of a song on a passing cars radio that had a verse that said "changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes" and I thought to myself that is _exactly_ what I needed.

The questions were where to go and what to do?

I certainly did not want to stay in Port Wenn. I did not wish to remain a GP pulling peas out of snotty noses. That would be a waste of my talents. I wanted to go back to surgery but no hospital in London would take a chance on me and working in some backwater wasn't really appealing. I wanted to, as the Americans say; get back in the saddle and become one of the best vascular surgeons in the world again, maybe even branch out into CVT, orthopedic or general surgery.

The problem was that in order to do so I would have to leave the UK and everything else behind which was something I had never considered before. I am British to the core. I sat down and thought about my life and the situation as a whole, making a list of the pros and cons of staying where I was or moving on and the pros of moving on far outweighed the cons. The only thing I would truly regret leaving in the UK was my son but I could still visit him and have him come visit me. He was about to be joined into a new family with a stepfather, step brothers and sisters and that would lessen any hurt he may have with my leaving the area. At least I hoped so. I know that despite our differences Louisa is an excellent mother who will take good care of our son and will make sure that I was involved in his life no matter what.

With my knowledge, skills and talent I could go anywhere I wanted. I could do surgery, research or teach just about anywhere. While I contemplated all of this I started to feel like a great burden was being lifted off my shoulders and the shackles that held me down were shattering. Life and hope were returning to my battered soul. I truly did want to 'change my attitude' along with 'changing my latitude'. I could break out of the chrysalis that had been my life up to now, leave it all behind and become a new and different being.

I set about researching all aspects of my plans. I thought about where I might want to live, what kind of work I wanted, what jobs were available, what kind of documents would be required to live and work in the place I decided to go, etc. I took into account everything from climate, geopolitical situations, legal implications, average salaries, housing, transportation, living expenses, taxation, amenities, and, most importantly, what I desired in a place to live and what I wanted out of life.

During the time I spent working on this project I told no one. My plan was let them all know by submitting my resignation. I would notify Louisa of it shortly beforehand so she wasn't taken by surprise. The more astute observers in Port Wenn and at Royal Cornwall noticed a definite change in me. I seemed to them to be genuinely happy, was less brusque and I even smiled slightly on occasion. Of course, the rumor mill ramped up to a fever pitch in speculating as to what I could possibly be happy about. Many of the villagers, my colleagues at Royal Cornwall, Chris and Louisa went on thinly veiled fishing expeditions trying to unveil the source of my apparent happiness but they got nothing out of me except the smallest of smiles. The most probable reason according to the village of the damned rumor mill was that I had found a new woman.

Oh, if they only knew what was truly going on!

They would know soon enough…


	2. Chapter 2-Unexpected Journey

**_Chapter 2-An Unexpected Journey_**

Tuesday morning before I opened the surgery I received a phone call from an old friend that I had not heard from in a while. I had met Dr. Donovan Kane decades ago at a conference in London. He is about 20 years older than me-a short, tough man who fought his way up out of poverty and grave personal tragedy to become who and what he is today. A no nonsense kind of man who doesn't suffer fools lightly; if Louisa ever met him she would call him 'gruff, _poly_syllabic and rude'. We hit it off immediately which surprised me because he is an American. We have been friends ever since and he has become a kind of surrogate father to me in many ways. He is one of America's preeminent cardiothoracic surgeons who, at that time that I first met him, was the head of CT surgery at The Mayo Clinic. Recently he was appointed to the post of director of the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center.

The reason for the call became fairly obvious after the first few minutes; apparently the UK rumor mill has a very _long_ reach. "What in the hell is happening with you, Martin? From what I have heard it seems that your whole world has come crashing down around you. I know how reticent you are to discuss things of this nature so I suspect that is why I haven't heard from you for a long time. Tell me what is going on." I sighed and told him what had transpired over the past few years and my secret escape plans to which he said "I think I may be able to help you out there. You can come here and work for us, we would be glad to have you. Dr. Ramirez is retiring November 1st so the post of head of CV surgery at Methodist will be open and I would hire you as associate researcher at DeBakey in combination with that post. I know you and I know what you would be capable of if you were given the proper opportunity and support. You would _thrive_ here."

I thought about it for a minute and said "I don't know, Don...I am not sure that someone like me would fit in or be happy in a place like that." He chuckled and replied, "Martin, you have never truly fit in or been happy _anywhere_ you have lived so far, which is not surprising considering all that has happened to you in your life. You weren't happy in London when I met you long ago and you certainly are miserable living where you are now. If what you just described to me is what you are truly seeking then this is the place to accomplish that. You know me and what I have been through in my life. I was searching for many of the same things you are now and I found them here, in fact I can say that for the first time in many years I am happy."

I replied "If you would send me some information about the positions available and the area I will look at them and consider it. I doubt they would hire me after what I have been through and my declining the post at Imperial a couple of years ago." Don chuckled again and said "Hell, Martin, no one here gives a _damn_ about all that. You will find that people like you are exactly the type of person we seek. I will, of course, send you the information but I will do you one better. What are you doing this weekend?"

I replied that I did not have any plans. Louisa was going to take James Henry to meet her fiancé's parents in Bristol so I would not have him this weekend as I usually would. Don said "Fine. I will have a private jet pick you up at Exeter to fly you here and we will give you the grand tour. What time do you think you could be at the airport?" "Well", I replied, "I could close the surgery early at 3pm Friday and be at the airport easily by 7pm. I can cancel my Monday morning appointments and delay opening the surgery until the afternoon. I will, of course, have to contact Chris to notify him that I will be gone during that time period so he can arrange to cover for me. " Don said "Great! I will make all the preparations necessary and I will see you on Saturday morning. You will be able to sleep on the way; the jet has full berths and a galley. Mind you, it is fairly warm here so you may want to bring some lightweight clothing. We're a pretty causal bunch around here-jeans, casual shoes and a nice shirt is acceptable wear for most events so if you have some bring 'em. I know you will bring a suit or two! I will send you the information I promised via email after I get back from my meeting and will see you Saturday. I'm late for my meeting and you have to open the surgery so goodbye for now." "Great! I will talk to you soon, goodbye Don."

My mind started racing with the possibilities-a position as department head at one of the best and most modern hospitals in the largest medical center in the world and researcher at one of the best research facilities in the world. That combination would grant me the opportunities I was looking for. Texas was certainly not a place I had ever considered but if the atmosphere and attitudes were as Don had described then it just might be a good place to go. If he said he had finally found happiness there after all he had been through that was saying a lot.

Lost in my reveries I had failed to notice that Morwenna had come in with the post and apparently said "Good Morning" to me. She shook my shoulder and said "Doc, are you OK? What are you smiling about? I don't ever think I have seen you smile like that! With the way you've been acting recently I am beginning to think you are going totally Bodmin on us." Jerked back into the here and now I said "Good Morning, Morwenna. I am perfectly fine. Could you get Chris Parsons on the phone for me and I am also going to need your help later on to rearrange my appointments for Friday afternoon and Monday morning. I will be going out of town for the weekend." Her eyes opened wide and she said "Got a hot date this weekend, Doc?" fully expecting me to snap her head off at that comment. Instead I just smiled slightly and said calmly "Something like that". It was interesting to watch her jaw drop and the look of total surprise cross her face. No doubt the news of this conversation would get the jungle drums going faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. "I am going to make a cup of espresso, what time is my first appointment due?" to which she replied "Al Large, 9am".

I walked into the kitchen and started to prepare my coffee. While doing so I speculated to myself just how long it would be before I was queried about my plans for the weekend and just how long it would take before Louisa called to try to find out what I was up to. My guess was that Al would be the first to enquire because Morwenna would tell him all about our conversation. Every patient after him would do the same thing. Louisa would probably hear about it shortly after Al left, the news would get her mind going and she would call during her lunch break. I even calculated the odds of Burt showing up with another suspicious mole or something so he could play 'go fish', too. Everyone here was _so_ predictable.

Not surprisingly, everything I thought would transpire during the day came true. Every patient tried in their own way to glean some tidbit of information about my plans for the weekend out of me. All Chris said when I told him was I deserved a bit of a break and to enjoy myself. Louisa did call on her lunch break using the excuse of informing me that she and James Henry would be back late Sunday afternoon if I wanted to come and see him then. I already knew this for she had mentioned it last Sunday when I had dropped him off. I told her that I was going to be out of town until Monday afternoon and she asked me where I was going. "To visit a friend" I replied. She tried all her usual tactics to find out more but I told her I had patients to see and hung up. Burt even showed up with an ingrown hair that he swore was some kind of poisonous insect bite as a ruse to engage me in conversation. After being battered with questions (in one form or another) for over six hours about my weekend plans I thought it might just be a bit of fun to stir the ant hill up a bit. I let it slip to Burt that I would be out of the country for the weekend. It will be amusing to see what the rumor mill does with _that_ additional bit of information.

After I closed the surgery for the day I went down to the shops to get some fresh fish and veg for my evening meal. Everyone I met tried to get information out of me about my weekend plans. They got nothing but the smallest of smiles and a terse "Mind your own business!" out of me. After dinner I booted up my laptop and perused the information that Don had sent-it looked really good. The salary was stupendous. Housing cheap compared to London-If I wanted to I could buy a 5 bedroom mansion with a pool within walking distance of work for the price of a small Kensington flat. James Henry would like a pool when he would come to visit. Everything else looked good, too. Not quite as good as New York or London, of course, but I did not want to live in those places, anyway. The one worrying thing was the climate-hot and humid. It was, however, the same kind of climate as Brisbane, Tokyo and Milan and all of those were still on my list of contenders. Hurricanes were a worry, though.

Over the next couple of days the rumor mill took the bits of information I had leaked "Long weekend away", "Visiting a friend", "Out of the country" and the exchange between Morwenna and myself of "Got a hot date this weekend, Doc?" and "Something like that." and twisted them into so many permutations I couldn't keep track and not a single one of them were anywhere near the mark. I guess I was already 'changing my attitude' because instead of getting angry with their endless speculation over the minutiae of my life I was actually amused. The most prevalent 'theory' I had overheard was that I was going to spend the weekend in Paris at some 'fancy hotel' with that 'new woman' that they all thought I had. The giggling gaggle of teenage harpies performed their version of a public service announcement by loudly announcing that I was a 'proper shagger' and suggested that I buy some French ticklers.

Friday morning finally came. I got up an hour early to pack my bags and my passport. I made sure I packed the pair of jeans, casual shirt and trainers that Louisa had insisted on buying me a couple months before we separated. I showered, shaved and made my breakfast. As I ate I wondered if Egg and Soldiers was a common breakfast item where I was going. My guess was no.

Morwenna arrived shortly before nine and we set about the routine of preparing to open the surgery for the day. The patient list was surprisingly light. I had expected the chief busybodies of the Port Wenn rumor mill to all make appointments in an attempt to 'land the big one'-the truth of where I was going and what I was going to be doing this weekend. Perhaps they all thought that their assumptions were correct and they did not need to pursue the subject further. The day went by with the usual assortment of colds, sore throats, ear infections, rashes and other minor complaints. I did get called out once to treat a man who had broken his leg falling off a ladder while painting his house.

The clock struck three and we closed the surgery for the weekend. As she was leaving Morwenna gave me a small hug, patted my back and said "I hope you have a wonderful time, Doc. You _do_ deserve it!" Surprised by the hug and her sentiments I looked at her face and noticed her starting to tear up. I think she somehow knows that my weekend away is a bit more serious than some romp in a Paris hotel as the rumor mill believes. I wished her a good weekend, packed up my laptop and went upstairs to get my bags.

By 3:15pm I was on my way to Exeter. On my way past the school Louisa and James Henry waved me over. I stopped, got out of the car and my son ran towards me to give me a big hug. I stooped down to hug him and kissed him on his head. He asked me "Where are you going, daddy? Is someone sick?" I tousled his hair and said "I am going on a journey to see an old friend; I will be back on Monday." He smiled at me and said "It is good to have friends and I am glad you are going to see yours. Mummy and I are going on a journey, too! We are going to Bristol to meet Stephan's mummy and daddy. Mummy said there was going to be a big party and we are invited to come. I will be a good boy and not eat too much cake and I will make sure I brush my teeth after." I smiled at him wistfully and said "I am sure you will be a good boy and will have a wonderful time. I must go now, I have a plane to catch." I gave him a bear hug and kissed his cheek then stood up and turned to Louisa and said "Enjoy yourself and please drive safely." Louisa smiled and said "You, too, Martin!". I turned and walked back to my car and as I drove away Louisa and James Henry smiled and waved goodbye. My eyes misted up a bit at the sight. I love my son and the sight of him so happy and healthy fills my heart with joy. I am also glad for Louisa. Stephan seems to be a very nice man who loves her and cares deeply for her.

As I drove out of Port Wenn I felt like it was the ending of a novel. Happy endings for everyone left behind and the lead character was flying off into the setting sun to find his new horizons.


	3. Chapter 3-Shock and Awe

**_Chapter 3-Shock and Awe_**

The drive to Exeter went a bit faster than I had anticipated, fortunately there were no sheep or cows blocking the road. I pulled into the parking lot at Exeter Corporate Aviation and checked in at the desk. "My name is Dr. Martin Ellingham. There is a private jet scheduled to land here to pick me up." The attendant replied crisply, "Your jet is already here, refueled and waiting for you, sir! I will inform the flight crew that you have arrived. The jet is parked on the tarmac-it is the copper colored Bombardier Global 7000. What a _beauty_!" I nodded to him and walked toward the window and I understood what he was talking about. It was a very large private jet giving off a soft coppery red glow in the fading sunlight. There were no markings on it that indicated it was owned by the hospital or a corporation. This was someone's _personal_ jet. If Don's goal was to 'shock and awe' he was doing a very good job at it.

A slender, brown haired women in a navy blue business suit followed by a tall young man in a uniform walked up to me and said "Good evening, Dr. Ellingham! My name is Ashley Johnson and this is Nicholas Olsen. We are the stewards for your flight tonight. The flight crew has already run the preflight check and we are ready to leave on your command. We have prepared the aft stateroom for your use and hope you will be comfortable in it. If you will kindly follow me I will escort you to the customs agent."

I turned towards Nicholas and said, "Please inform the flight crew that I am ready to depart when they are." Ashley directed me towards the customs official who performed his duties with a minimum of fuss and then we went out of the terminal and boarded the plane.

The cabin of the aircraft was all deep red and creamy yellow Cocobolo wood with copper hardware and accents. The seats were a rich, buff colored leather. Ashley took my coat and walked back to the stateroom to hang it up followed by Nicholas with my luggage. I sat down in one of the seats and fastened the safety belt. Once the stewards and the chef (a chef!) were settled into their seats the familiar whine of the engines starting up could be heard. The pilot announced that we were cleared for immediate take off and the estimated duration of our flight was eight and a half hours. We started to taxi down the ramp to the runway, the jet stopped, the engines revved up and we started rolling down the runway. I looked out at the hills softly glowing in green and gold in the distance as we gained speed and felt us gently lift off. In my mind I was hearing "Jerusalem" as I heard it sung at the last night of the proms at Royal Albert Hall.

_Bring me my Bow of burning gold;  
Bring me my Arrows of desire:  
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!  
Bring me my Chariot of fire!_

_I will not cease from Mental Fight,_  
_Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:_  
_Till we have built Jerusalem,_  
_In England's green & pleasant Land_

Was I doing the right thing? Leaving my home. Leaving the country of that had been the home of my ancestors for more than a thousand years. Ancestors that had sailed uncharted waters for Queen and Country, who fought and died at Trafalgar, Blenheim and Jutland. The Ellingham family tree was never very hardy to begin with and it had been severely pruned by centuries of service King/Queen and Country. I was the first in over 200 hundred years to _not_ serve in the Royal Navy. If I moved away there would be only two of us left in Britain-my elderly, estranged aunt and my son.

I was pondering these thoughts while watching the darkening land slip away until only the broad expanse of the Atlantic and the first stars of night could be seen. A hand gently tapped my shoulder-it was Nicholas. "May I get you something to drink, sir? We have a well-stocked bar including a bottle of Talisker 25 Year Old for your enjoyment." I generally do not drink but on this occasion and with the thoughts that were racing through my head I decided that the Talisker would be an excellent idea. "I'll take a taste of the Talisker, Nicholas. Thank you." He turned and walked to the bar to prepare my drink. When he returned with it he said "We were informed that you prefer low fat fish and vegetables for dinner and do not eat desserts unless it is a special occasion. Our chef has chosen a dish to prepare for you that he hopes you will enjoy; Salmon with Snap Peas, Yellow Peppers, and Dill-Pistachio Pistou. It will take about 25 minutes to prepare, please let me know when you would like him to start on it." I hadn't eaten since breakfast and that _did_ sound wonderful. "Please tell the chef that his selection sounds delicious and he can start working on it at his earliest convenience." Nicholas nodded and walked towards the front of the plane.

While I waited for dinner I sipped my scotch and slipped back into thought. I asked myself again if I was doing the right thing. Yes, I am. I would not be the first person on the planet who had left their ancestral lands and left their family behind to find greener pastures elsewhere. I cannot do what I _need_ to do living in Britain. One of the shackles that had been holding me down all my life was tradition and if tradition is serving to hold you down and hold you back then that tradition needs to be left behind. I will make new traditions in a new land. Perhaps, if I am lucky, even start a new branch of the family. I would like that. I miss having someone to come home to and someone to cuddle up to. Someone who I can share my thoughts and feelings with without fear. Someone to love who loves me back. Someone to share my life with. I have begun a journey of the infinite, where all things are possible. The chrysalis has been shattered.

I have crossed my Rubicon.

My musings were interrupted by Nicholas and Ashley setting the table for dinner. Crisp white linens, fine china, silverware, delicate crystal drinkware and a small bowl of Orchids were impeccably laid out. "Dinner will be served shortly." Ashley announced. I got up and went aft to freshen up before dinner and was surprised by what I saw. A comfortable looking bed with plump pillows, eiderdown and soft cotton sheets already turned down and a bathroom with a full sized shower. Thick Turkish towels on the towel rack and a robe hanging on the door. I completed my ablutions and went forward just as Nicholas was bringing out my dinner. I sat down and was served my dinner along with small salad of wild field greens dressed with vinaigrette and some excellent bread to accompany it. "What would you like to drink with your dinner, Sir? We have a fine selection of wines or, if you prefer, a good selection of bottled water." I asked if he has some Ty Nant Blue still water. He replied "Yes, sir. I will bring some right away. Would you like it chilled or room temperature?" I replied "Room temperature, please." He returned with the bottle, poured me a glass and set the bottle on the table. I began to eat-my god, it was delicious! I finished off everything, including the bread. I got up from the table and went back to my chair.

The food and the alcohol were making me sleepy. It was already past my normal bedtime. I bid Ashley and Nicholas a good night and walked back to the stateroom. I undressed, hung up my suit, put on my pajamas, washed up and brushed my teeth and crawled into bed. The bed was indeed as comfortable as it looked and I was asleep in no time at all.

I dreamed.


	4. Chapter 4-The New World

**_Chapter 4: The New World_**

A soft knock on the door awakened me. "Yes, I am awake." I said groggily.

"Sir, we will be landing in about 90 minutes. The time at landing will be approximately 9pm Central Daylight Time." said Ashley through the door. "The weather will be mostly cloudy skies, temperature of 25°C, humidity of 62% and a southeast wind blowing at 32 km/h. Dr. Kane will be on hand at the terminal to greet you and drive you into the city. There will be a US Customs Agent on hand to process your entry into the US. All visa requirements and fees have already been dealt with so it should not take long to clear customs. Would you like some coffee or tea?"

"A cup of Earl Grey would be fine after I shower and dress, thank you." Don was right when he said it was a bit warm at this time of year. I climbed out of bed, went into the bath and started the shower to warm up the water while I relieved myself. I got into the shower, adjusted the temperature, and relaxed as the water ran soothingly down my skin. As I washed myself I thought about what I should wear. A suit or my casual clothes? The grey suit with a white shirt, the cufflinks Louisa gave me as a wedding present and the regimental blue tie James Henry gave me for Father's Day would do the trick. I toweled myself off, put on the robe and proceeded to shave and brush my teeth. Toiletries done I dressed and packed up.

Sipping my tea I watched as the dark land sprinkled with lights rolled by. I could feel the plane slowing and descending. As we banked for final approach, I saw an interesting skyline. There did not appear to be a centralized 'downtown'-clusters of colorfully lit skyscrapers were scattered across the horizon like gems. A very tall one had a huge spotlight revolving on the top like a lighthouse, another had two spikes topped with bright strobe lights.

We touched down and taxied to corporate air terminal. The plane rolled to a stop. When all was ready Nicholas opened the door and Ashley said, "It has been a pleasure serving you tonight, sir! Nicholas will carry your bags to the customs agent and we will see you in a couple of days for the return journey." "Thank you for your assistance; it was a quite pleasurable flight." I replied.

I had expected to be bowled over by the heat when I exited the plane but found that it was actually quite nice; the wind was soft and soothing. As we approached the terminal I saw a tanned, grey haired man in a navy blue suit waiting by the door. It was Don. He looked a lot healthier than he did the last time I saw him. Lost some weight, too.

"Dr. Ellingham, I presume." he laughingly said as I walked through the door, "Welcome to Houston!" I walked towards him, shook his hand and said "Thank you, Don! You are looking quite well! How long has it been since we last saw each other?" He replied "Not since that symposium we attended in New York a couple months before you, um, your, ah...well, you know."

A serious looking man in a uniform strode up and said, "Excuse me, gentlemen. I must process Dr. Ellingham's passport, visa and inspection." "Right." I said, "Lead on." I followed the man and he quickly performed his duties. Paperwork done I went to rejoin Don. "Give me one of your bags to carry, Martin." I handed him my laptop case and we walked on. "The car is right outside the door so we don't have too far to go. I thought about putting you up at the Hotel Zaza but I figured it would be better to have you stay at my place. It will be more homelike for you and will save on some driving. Plus we can have a good, long chat. I have missed that, you know."

We exited the terminal and it walked over to a blue Mercedes S600, 'nice car' I thought to myself. Don opened the boot and we put my luggage in and went to get into the car. I started walking over to the left hand side of the car. Don laughed said "Wrong side, Martin-unless you are planning on driving and I don't think you are quite ready to drive in Houston on a Friday night. I want to give you the grand tour of the hospital but I don't want to start it in the emergency room!" I smiled and said "Damn Yankees driving on the wrong side of the road!" We laughed as we got into the car. It felt good to laugh. I haven't done it for a long time.

We talked as we drove to Don's house. "Were you trying to pull your own version of shock and awe on me with that jet and the royal treatment? The only thing that was missing was the red carpet"

Don looked at me for a moment then turned his eyes back to the road. "Yes I was, in a way. I wanted to save this conversation until we got back to the house and we _will_ have it but I will tell you this bit right now. I _want_ you to come work for us and I wanted to give you the full superstar treatment starting from the moment you left England. I also wanted to boost your spirits. You sounded so depressed and defeated when I talked to you on the phone-it has been a long and hard decade for you. The jet belongs to an old buddy of mine. We went to Harvard together-he was law school and I was medical school. He owns one of the biggest and most prestigious legal firms in the country and has made more money than god. I told him about you and asked if I could borrow one of his corporate jets to bring you here and take you back. He told me 'If that boy means that much to you I will send my personal jet-fully stocked and with a full staff.'"

Just as he finished that statement he turned into a long driveway next to a beautiful Prairie style house and parked the car under the porte-cochere. 'Here we are! Let's grab your stuff and get you settled in. Are you hungry or sleepy?"

"I slept well on the plane. I should stay up for a couple of hours to adjust. As to being hungry I am not at the moment."

"Well, let me know when you are. I had the housekeeper pick up some foods that I know you like from the British grocery store this afternoon and there is plenty of other stuff to eat, too."

I grabbed my bag and followed him into the house. The interior was very tastefully done-large rooms filled with comfortable furniture, large windows that were letting in the moonlight, hardwood floors and many interesting works of art and sculpture tastefully placed and lit. "You have a beautiful house, Don! It is so large, too. I think my cottage is smaller than your kitchen!"

"Thank you! I had an interior decorator do it up. I am really no good at that kind of thing. My wife was, though. She had a real knack for it." He said with a tinge of sadness then brightened, "All the bedrooms are upstairs and each has its own bath. I am putting you in the one with the nice view of the backyard and the pool. Follow me."

He led me to my room. It, too, was bigger than my cottage. It had a king sized bed and a sitting area with sofa, TV and desk. He said "Get you unpacked and freshened up. When you are done come on downstairs to the patio. It is really nice out there on a night like tonight, the breeze hits it just right. I am going to go get out of this damned suit."

He left and I unpacked my luggage. I got out of my suit and put on my pajama bottoms and a vest and went downstairs to the patio. Don was already there sitting on a wicker chaise lounge looking out over the garden with its moonlight dappled trees and the softly lit pool. There was a low wicker table next to it with a bottle of Ty Nant and a couple of glasses. He was right, the breeze was cool and relaxing.

"Pull up a chaise lounge, Martin. It is time we had ourselves a good, long chat..."


	5. Chapter 5-A Good, Long Chat

**_Chapter 5: A Good, Long Chat_**

Don opened the bottle of water, filled the glasses and handed me one. "Talking and listening is thirsty work. OK, Martin, I want to understand what is going on with you and don't hold back. I am here to listen and to help. Take your time, we got all night."

I took a drink of water, sighed and said. "Where to begin…"

"You know most of it already so I will skip that unless you have questions. I think I will begin with the end. The end of my marriage that is. For that is the first step on the road that has led me to sitting in my pajamas in your back garden tonight."

"Perhaps a good way to illustrate what happened between Louisa and I would be to take two magnets and set their opposite poles next to each other-they are attracted to each other then stick together. Subtle shifts in their own and the Earth's magnetic fields combined with other factors will eventually shift them enough to force a break in that bond and they will end up repelling each other. That was what happened to us. In retrospect we should have never been married in the first place for we both knew that each of us had personality traits and opinions that drove the other one crazy and our personalities were polar opposites-she is fiery and emotional, I am cool and analytical. We are both highly argumentative. We are also intellectually incompatible. I am not saying that she is ignorant or anything of that nature, it is just that we had little in common in that respect. She enjoys reading sappy romantic novels; I read scientific literature or histories. She watches things like 'The Only Way is Essex' on TV, if I watch anything on TV it is a documentary. Her musical tastes run to pop songs, mine to jazz, classical and occasionally to progressive rock. We had little in common to talk about and, as you know, talking is the majority of the 'intercourse' of a marriage."

"All in all this was not a recipe for a happy marriage. If we had been more rational we would have known this but we were both so besotted with each other and blind to all reason. Combine that with, I think, a subconscious desire on both our parts to prove all the naysayers, and there were a _lot_ of those, wrong about us so we went through with a marriage that was doomed to fail."

"We did try to work it out for the sake of our son. We both tried very hard but the differences were just too great. Towards the end I spent most of my time at the surgery to avoid the nightly rows. One day Louisa said 'This is not how it is supposed to be. It is unfair to both of us and to our son to try to keep up this charade of a marriage. I do love you, but I can't live with you anymore. I want a divorce, Martin' I told her 'I agree. I love you but I can no longer live with you, either.' And that was it. I moved back to the surgery and she kept the new house that we bought when we got married. The divorce process was very civil. I made sure that I provided generously for both of them. Louisa made sure that I would have plenty of time with our son. We both make sure that James Henry knows that we love him very much."

I sighed and took a sip of water. Don asked "How is your relationship with them now?"

"Surprisingly quite good." I said. "Louisa and I do not talk as much as we used to but are friendly when we do. We have come out of the fire to the other side and it has changed both of us for the good I think. We speak even less since she met Stephan. Stephan is a man she met at a teacher's conference about a year ago. He is a widower with 4 children, two of whom are close to James Henry's age and all are under the age of 13. His wife died in a terrible auto accident, her car was hit head on by a drunk out on Bodmin moor and burst into flames. They have fallen in love and are going to marry in a couple of months. He seems to be a good man who loves her and James Henry and even I can see that they are both very compatible with each other."

"James Henry is the joy of my life. I love my son and he loves me-he is the only being that has ever loved me unconditionally. It is amazing how he has changed me. I am now more patient and let things that used to make me angry roll off of me. I am, I think, calmer. We spend a good deal of time together at the moment but I know that will be changing soon. He will be melded into a new family with siblings and no matter what I do the simple fact is that I will become less of a factor in his life due to this. There is no way to avoid it. I know that they will have to move into a bigger house somewhere-neither one of theirs can comfortably fit in a family of seven. I told Louisa to sell our house and use the proceeds towards a new one if need be. I don't need the money."

Before Don could say it I said, "If you are thinking that is **_the_** reason why I am looking to get out of Port Wenn it is not. Give me credit for being a bigger man than that!"

Don looked me in the eyes and said with a hint of anger, "I was not going to say that, I wasn't even thinking that! Give ME credit for knowing that you are not that kind of man."

I looked down at my glass and said "Sorry, I am just so used to having to defend everything I do." Don replied "It's OK, I understand that one-been there, done that."

I watched the moon as it was veiled then uncovered by the clouds rushing by it and said, "After the divorce I threw myself into work again but made sure I never missed out on my time with my son if I could help it. I had Chris put me on the rota which guaranteed that I would not be called out on the weekends that I had James Henry. I took on more surgeries along with my GP duties. I read research papers, took some courses and participated in seminars via the internet. As you know I have had a very difficult time with the villagers in Port Wenn and that got worse after the divorce. I was also taking a lot of crap out of the snarky and smarmy newly minted surgeons at Royal Cornwall. It was really starting to wear me down. I went from to having a family, having love and being somewhat content to back on my own in a dog eat dog world and I was the one wearing the milk bone underwear again. I wanted to get out. But this also is just part of the reason why."

"Another thing is, and this may sound a bit crazy, is that I want to change myself. I want to be a different person. The thing that started the ball rolling so to speak was when I heard a snippet of an old Jimmy Buffet song walking down the street one day-'Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes'. Those words struck me like a thunderbolt! I think if I go to another country that does not have the kind of societal, emotional and psychological baggage that I am constantly chained to in the UK I will be able to accomplish this. When I first came up with this idea I felt the weight of the world start to lift from me and it felt good! I want to be a person who gets jokes and laughs at them. I want to do things that I was never allowed to do as a child and had neither time nor inclination for as an adult. I want to take chances and do things that I would have never considered before. I want to get out of the bespoke Saville Row tailored straightjacket of snobbery, upbringing, tradition and status I have been locked into since I was born. I want to be able to find someone to love who loves me back. I want to be comfortable in my own skin and not constantly loathe myself. This is one of the major reasons why I am looking to get out of the UK. Look at me, here I am sitting in my pajamas pouring out thoughts that I would not _dare_ to express at home."

"And now I am going to tell you the MAJOR reason I am looking to get out and the reasons why I won't take just any old job."

Don perked up and swung his legs down from the lounge and stared at me intently. "Oh, _do_ tell!" He said and smiled.

"OK. About a year ago I had been studying up on uses of stem cells, nanotechnology and biomechanics. Then I had a thought about how they could be used to accomplish an old idea I had. I think they are the key to making that old idea succeed and if I can get it to work it will be _revolutionary_. More than that I think. I can't write a paper about it based on pure theory, I need to be able to actually work with the technologies to determine if my assumptions are correct. In order to do so I have to learn those technologies first. I have also come up with designs for a new stent, an artificial valve and the techniques for a new procedure. The problem is that I cannot work on _any_ of these ideas being a grumpy old GP who does part time surgery all in the arse of nowhere. I need a place like here."

"I will tell you that I have applied at other places and all have either turned me down straight away or the best they will offer is a bog standard surgical position on a _trial_ basis. Many haven't even had the courtesy of sending me a rejection letter. I can understand it because of my soiled reputation but it still hurts. I have applied at places like Johns Hopkins, Mayo, American Hospital in Paris, Gleneagles in Singapore, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, etc. I haven't bothered with applying anywhere in London because I know what the answer will be plus working there would be what you Yanks call a 'toxic work environment'."

"Anyway, that is about it. I open the floor to questions, comments and criticisms. Well, I will in a moment, I need to use the loo." Don said, "There is one just off the Kitchen-help yourself."

Don did not hear me when I came back. He was staring intently at the pool, lost in thought. I waited for him to speak.

A minute or two later he realized that I had returned and started talking softly. "Martin, I have seen thousands of surgeons come and go in my life. Thousands of specialists too. Some good, some bad, most average and a very few who were great. The only truly _natural_ one is you. You have a very rare combination of talents, my friend. Not only are you one of the best surgeons I have ever seen you are also one of the greatest diagnosticians there has ever been. You instinctively understand how the body as a whole works. The most surprising thing about it is that you have achieved all this under grave psychological and emotional pressures that would have driven the majority of people to either commit suicide or mass murder."

"All your life you have been beaten down-by your parents, by your schoolmates and then your colleagues and now these villagers in a Cornwall backwater. Why? I think it is because they feared you. Why did they fear you? Because they knew that if unbound you would tower so far over them that they would feel very small. I meant it when I told you I knew what you were capable of if given the opportunity and support needed; I have known that for decades. But I also knew you would never get it working in the environment that you were working in and I knew there was no way I could persuade you to come join me at Mayo, The Cleveland Clinic or Johns Hopkins because you were, and I am sorry for saying this, a total European snob that looked down on all us 'uncivilized, ignorant Yanks' and anything that was American. I knew that one day you would come to the conclusion that in order to become what you were truly meant to be you would have to shatter your old world and make a new one for yourself and that could not be accomplished where you were."

"Now, _finally_, you are ready to break free of your prison and soar among the stars. I have waited a long time for this."


	6. Chapter 6-A Slice of Toast

**_Chapter 6: A Slice of Toast_**

I was absolutely gobsmacked by what he had said.

Don stood up and asked, "Are you hungry? I know I am. I was tied up in meetings until about 7pm then had to hustle out to IAH to pick you up. The last thing I had to eat was a sandwich for lunch. Let's mosey into the kitchen and see what we can dig up. We have some things to discuss before heading off to the land of nod, too. Tomorrow, or I should say later on today, is going to be a pretty full day for us."

According to my internal clock it was breakfast time and I was a bit on the hungry side. "Sounds good." I said.

We went into the kitchen and Don started poking around in the refrigerator. "Any ideas on what you might want?" I thought for a moment and said "Maybe a slice of toast. We will be having breakfast in a couple of hours and eating too much before sleeping isn't a good idea for me." Don shut the door on the refrigerator and said, "That sounds pretty good to me, too. I have 12 grain bread or whole wheat, which would you prefer and do you want one slice or two? Is there anything you would like on it? Butter? Jam? Peanut or Almond Butter?" I replied, "Just one slice of plain toast, please. I think I will try the 12 grain."

Don slid three slices of bread into the toaster and said "Coming right up! Now, here is the plan for the day. I figured we would go down to the hospital somewhere around 10am and give you a tour of the facilities which should allow you to get a pretty good idea of what we have. There are a couple of Doctors who will be working tomorrow that I would like you to meet so we will do that if they are not tied up. Perhaps have lunch with them if they are not in surgery and their schedules allow. Unlike British hospitals we have excellent food in our restaurants and cafeterias. I think you will be pleased with the coffee, too. We will be meeting with the chief of surgery and a couple of board members at about 2pm, consider this meeting to be an informal job interview. Your reputation precedes you everywhere, you know. Their main goal is to size you up-they want to find out if you are indeed ready to get back into the saddle again. Be frank and honest with them like you were with me. Foghorn is on your side already, the two board members are, well, board members and you know how they are. They are both pretty good people but they see this situation from a board members perspective."

"Foghorn?" I interrupted.

Don smiled and said, "Jean-Baptiste Thibodeaux. The chief of surgery. Pure Cajun with an accent to match! You probably won't understand half of what he says so I will translate for you if needed. He was given that nickname because he reminds everyone of Foghorn Leghorn."

I was puzzled. "Who is Foghorn Leghorn?" I asked.

"Oh, my god! You _really_ have led a sheltered life! Foghorn Leghorn is the unsung comedic genius in the 'Looney Tunes' lineup. You know, Bugs Bunny...Porky Pig...Daffy Duck...Pepe le Pew...Tweety..." Don plated up our toast and handed me mine and proceeded to put some peanut butter on one of his slices of toast. "Your toast, sir!"

"Ah..." I said. "Isn't that a bit disrespectful calling him something like that? Thank you for the toast by the way."

"Martin, here we don't rely on ego, ceremony and titles. We rarely call each other sir or ma'am. We all know who is who and what their job description is. We treat each other as co-workers and friends and titles only come into play when necessary. You may think it is disrespectful but it serves a purpose. It makes everyone truly work as a team and engenders the flow of idea and thought. Instead of the kind of hospital you are used to working at with an atmosphere much akin to Buckingham Palace with everyone bowing and scraping to the higher ups the atmosphere here is more like kids at Disneyland-everyone loves what they are doing and is excited to be here. All the major innovations throughout history had started with an idea. We want to make it as comfortable as possible for people to come up with new ideas and work on them. We encourage different departments to work together to achieve a common goal. This atmosphere is a good part of the reason why I am so happy. There is very little backbiting, everyone respects one another and you are only limited by your own mind. Up until I called you this week I would have _never_ suggested an environment such as this to you. You would have had a hard time dealing with it. Now, I think you are ready to and, like I told you before, I think you will thrive here."

"By the way, when we go there you will be able to tell who is who at the by the color of their scrubs and their scrub caps. In a hectic emergency situation that is most helpful because you know at a glance who does what simply by the colors they wear. Surgical department heads wear black scrubs, attendings wear deep blue, residents sapphire blue, interns light blue, nurses wear green, lab techs wear red, scanners wear maroon . Certain specialized departments have their own colors-oncology is deep violet; the 'Vagina Squad' wears a dusky rose. Gas passers wear grey. Pediatrics is a bit different-they wear the pants that match their status but are encouraged to wear printed tops-it makes the children feel more comfortable and makes them smile. Department heads and attendings wear their own scrub caps to make them easier to pick out in a crowd or in surgery when everyone is gowned and masked. For example I wear one with an autumn leaves print. Foghorn wears one with Looney Tunes characters. Our Chief of Pediatrics wears one with duckies and bunnies on it. Most opt for ones in their school colors and logos or quiet prints and plaids. You get the idea."

"This place sounds more like a lunatic asylum than a hospital." I said while putting my plate in the dishwasher. "I can understand why you might think of it that way but it really isn't-you will see soon enough. Besides, name me one genius that wasn't a bit on the loony side? We have a hospital chock full of them and in case you are not aware of it _you_ have always been a bit on the loony side in a darker, more tortured way. More Van Gogh than Steve Jobs."

"Look at the time! It is 2am! I am going to hit the rack. You are welcome to stay up longer if you like. I will wake you at 8am if you aren't up already. Oh, I forgot to mention that we will be going out for dinner tomorrow night with some of the department heads and attendings. Foghorn will be coming along for the ride, too. They are all eager to meet the 'great Ellingham' who appears to be rising out of the ashes like a Phoenix."

I said, "I think I go to bed, too. It has been a long day and tomorrow will be longer."

We walked over the stairs and went up them. At the top of the landing Don said, "Good night! I am glad you are here!" and then went off to bed. I did the same.

As I got ready for bed I set the alarm clock on my phone for 8am. I looked at the pictures of James Henry that I have on my phone and wondered how his day was going. He was having a long day, too. I put the phone on the nightstand and laid down and was asleep within minutes.

I dreamed.


	7. Chapter 7-Three Miles

**_Chapter 7: Three Miles _**

I was awakened from my dreams by the buzzing of the alarm on my phone. I shut that off and checked to see if I had any messages. There were none. Tossing the covers off while I swung my legs down to put my feet on the floor I started thinking about the coming events of the day. A quiet, nagging voice inside my head asked me again if I was doing the right thing. "Yes, I am." I told it as I walked into the bathroom. "The only reason why you are nagging me is because I am afraid...I am afraid because the course of the rest of my life may rest on the events of this day. So **_shut up_** and let me get on with it!" The voice went silent.

My morning hygiene done I made the bed and selected the navy blue pinstriped suit with white shirt, red tie and the Schlumberger Olive gold and blue enamel cufflinks I had bought at Tiffany's the last time I was in New York. I buffed my shoes then went down stairs. Don was placing our breakfasts on the table, Egg and Soldiers, orange juice and tea. I thought back to the conversation I had with myself on the breakfast foods of Texas on Friday and smiled. "Good Morning, Martin! I trust you slept well?" I replied "Yes, quite well, thank you. Breakfast looks good!" Don sat down and said "I remembered that at every conference, seminar or meeting that we attended together you _always_ had the same thing for breakfast so I thought I couldn't go wrong with this." I sat down and said "Yup!"

"I called down to the hospital to see what was up. Apparently there was a rather bad accident a couple hours ago An 18 wheeler lost a load of drilling pipe on Southwest Freeway which caused a multi-car pileup, a couple of the cars were crushed by the pipes. Ryan and Matsuko will more than likely be in surgery during our tour so we won't be seeing them until tonight."

We finished our breakfast and Don cleaned up the kitchen, put the dishes in the dishwasher and started it. While he was doing so I made sure I had everything necessary on my laptop-copies of credentials and licenses, my CV, papers I had written, list of awards and citations I had received-the usual things when applying for a job. I also checked for messages and I had received one. James Henry had sent me a group picture from the party he was attending and a message saying he really liked his (soon to be) new Grandpa and Grammy was having a lot of fun with his (soon to be) new brothers and sisters.

I am here thinking of moving on and it is becoming increasingly obvious to me that my son already has. At least he will still retain my name. Louisa said that they had talked about it and they decided that it would be unfair to me and perhaps upsetting and confusing to James Henry to change his surname. "He is _your_ son, Martin. That will never change." Thinking about this reminded me that I had to talk to my solicitor and arrange it so Stephan could make decisions concerning his welfare in case of emergency and Louisa was incapacitated. I made a note in my diary to remind me.

Don grabbed his car keys and said, "Ready to go?" I packed up my laptop and said, "Yes...yes I am."

We went outside, Don locked up the house and I got in the car. It was already getting warm and muggy. Don got in, started the car up and pulled up further into the driveway to a place where he could turn the car around and then we drove off. "We have only two miles to go so don't get too comfy. I ride 'The Danger Train' to work most days. That way I get some exercise walking to the train stop and you can't beat starting your day off by risking your life! Keeps the cholesterol out of the arteries..."

I shot my eyebrow up and said, "The Danger Train?"

"Houston Light Rail. Infamous for running over pedestrians and getting hit by rich women in their Range Rovers worrying about chipping their nails while texting. The train _always_ wins those contests. Never a dull moment!"

I laughed at this. I have been to many places in my life and to most of the great cities of the world but this city is something else. I thought about it and I do not think I have ever known Don to laugh as much as he has in the short time I have been here. He has changed; he seems to be genuinely happy, finds humor in everything and is witty. Amazing considering the fact that for most of the time I have known him we were so much alike-grumpy, sarcastic and humorless and liked it that way. There must be something in the water here...at least it doesn't appear to cause Gynecomastia.

Don pulled the car up to the entrance to the hospital, we got out and Don handed the car keys over to the valet and she said, "Good morning, Dr. Kane!" I was surprised. Valet parking at a hospital? I am getting the distinct impression that today is going to be a day full of surprises.

They started right away with the pianist tinkling away in a lobby more suited to a hotel than a hospital. We walked over to security desk and I signed in, was photographed and received a photo ID badge. I attached the badge to my coat as we walked on and Don said "Oh, by the way, Foghorn granted you full privileges for the duration of your stay. Your licenses and credentials are recognized by the TMB. I don't suspect you will be using them but just in case you want to the opportunity is there."

Don did give me the grand tour! I saw their ER, operating theatres, patient rooms, research facilities, labs, diagnostic equipment. I really enjoyed having a look at the Transcranial Doppler and the DynaCT. We tagged along with morning rounds for a bit and I talked briefly with some of the doctors. Everywhere we went the staff seemed generally happy and the patients well cared for. I did notice that there was some whispering going as when we passed nurses stations or groups of doctors. Don noticed that I had noticed that and said "Your reputation precedes you everywhere you go, my friend."

We must have walked three miles during the tour. Shortly before 1pm Don said "Want to grab some lunch before going in to face the firing squad? We will probably be in that meeting for a couple of hours." I thought about it and said "A light salad would be good, is there a good place to get one around here?' Don smiled then said "Follow me."

We went over to the Marketplace café in one of the buildings. It was really busy. 'We might not be able to get a table. If not we can have it packed up and we can eat outside in the garden or in my office." We did manage to get a table and we got our lunches.

"Well, Martin, what do you think?"

"Do you want an honest appraisal or do you want me to say what you want to hear?"

"An honest appraisal will do."

"You were right, this _is_ Disneyland."

"You like it?"

"I like it."

"Good. Time to go upstairs."


	8. Chapter 8-The Phoenix Rises

**_Chapter 8: The Phoenix Rises_**

We arrived at a well-appointed conference room right at 2pm. There was a pitcher of water and glasses on a try in the middle of it and behind was a wall of all windows looking out over the city. Big, puffy cumulus clouds dotted the sky like a great herd of sheep.

The men at the table stood up "Good afternoon, gentlemen!" a tall, thin man in an impeccably tailored suit said. "Good Afternoon!" I replied as I walked up to the men we shook their hands. As we did so the man in the suit said "Let me introduce every one. My name is Glenn Reynolds. I am the Chairman of the Board of the hospital." He gestured to his left to an portly older man of average height, balding with a weathered face dressed in a fashion more appropriate for a golf course then an interview "This is David Hoffman, one of our board members." He gestured to the right to a _big_ man in black scrubs, taller than me with rather longish salt and pepper hair, a longish face with an aquiline nose and eyes full of laughter and mischief "and this is our Chief of Surgery Dr. Jean-Baptiste Thibodeaux, known to one and all here as 'Foghorn'." The big man said in almost incomprehensible English(?) "It is a pleasure to meet you, suh!" Glenn said "Now that the introductions are done please sit you down and we will get down to business."

I sat down in a very comfortable leather chair, Don sat down next to me. Glenn said "This meeting will be short and sweet. We all know who you are, we all know what you have been through. Despite the fact that it has been a long time since you have worked at the level that you will be working at here we know that you are more than up to the task. We have already discussed it and are prepared to offer you the job of Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery and Don is prepared to offer you a position as associate researcher at DeBakey. Would you like these jobs?"

I sat there absolutely stunned. I had mentally prepared for a couple hours of being grilled about everything that had happened in my life since the Haemophobia came on. The one thing I was _NOT_ prepared for was to be offered everything on a silver platter in less than thirty seconds! I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights to these men.

Foghorn spoke up "Well, do ya or dontcha, son? It isn't rocket science..."

I looked at them all and said "May I ask one question?" Glenn replied "Go for it."

I poured a glass of water, took a sip and said, "I am sorry. I had prepared for an afternoon of being grilled and am somewhat stunned. The question is why I am being offered all this without an interview?"

They all laughed and Glenn said "I am afraid you have your friend Don to blame for that. He did not tell you that your conversation last night with him on his patio was essentially your interview. We all know who you are but only he knows you well enough personally to find out your _true_ reasons for wanting to get back into the game after so many years. Much has happened to you on your road from London to Houston and we had to know if you were truly ready. This morning while you were sleeping we had a conference call to discuss the matter and decided to offer you the positions. The question remains, would you like these jobs?"

I thought for a couple of seconds. Mental pictures of last decade of my life flew through my head at warp speed; the last picture was the one that James Henry had sent me this morning of him smiling with what will be his new family.

"Yes. I would be delighted to." I said.

They all applauded then we all shook hands and Glenn said "Welcome aboard! Now that it is settled let's get down to the particulars. We have had our legal department draw up the contracts, I am sure you and your solicitor will want to review it before signing. We can work out any problems with it if they arise. I would like you to look at the salary being offered straightaway, though. Is it adequate?" Glenn opened the page of the contract with the salary information and I had to fight very hard to keep my face impassive-it was huge! I nodded and said "Yes, it is quite adequate."

Glenn slid a piece of paper across the table and continued, "We would like you to sign a letter of intent stating that you accept the positions pending review of the contract, though, just so we can get the ball rolling on this end. We have to get you security clearances so we will be contacting the appropriate authorities and have drawn up a letter for you to sign granting us permission to do so. We also have to deal with immigration and visa matters, these are fairly routine for us and our legal department has already drawn up the paperwork that will be required from us and have provided the necessary forms that you need to fill out. Once you have filled them out send them back to us and we will submit them along with our documents. You will note in the contract that we will pay all moving expenses and there is a mortgage allotment of $200,000. Don knows one of the best realtors in town and he will arrange for you to contact her so she can find out what you desire in a home and start searching for it. This is Houston and you _will_ need a vehicle. We have many campuses scattered around town and there will be times that you will have to visit them. We will provide you with a car, choose one from the list that will be enclosed with the contract and other papers. That is about it. Any questions or comments?"

"Yes." I replied, "I would like you to hold off on announcing this until I have had time to get back to England. I need to talk to Dr. Parsons and resign my post as a GP and I need to talk to my ex-wife so we can prepare and break the news to my son."

Glenn replied "We had already planned on that. Your solicitor is going to need a couple of days to review the contracts anyway. We won't officially announce it until everything is signed and in order"

"That will be fine" I said.

Glenn stood up and said "That concludes our business for today. I know that all of us would rather be anywhere then a conference room on a nice Saturday like this so I will say that we are pleased that you will be joining our staff and thank you for coming here today." We all stood up and shook each other's hands. Don and I turned and left the room and went towards the lift. Once inside I turned to Don and said "You are a very sneaky person!" He laughed at me and said "Yup!"


	9. Chapter 9-Explanations

**_Chapter 9: Explanations _**

"Don, we really need to talk! I am a **very upset **that things of an **extremely personal nature** that I told you **in confidence as a friend **were treated by you as **little more** than information gleaned from an applicant in a job interview and then repeated to others!"

"**Whoa, whoa, whoa!** I knew you might get angry but before you work yourself up into a patented Martin Ellingham nuclear rant let me explain the situation. You have not officially accepted the positions yet so if you want to walk away that is fine but before you do **hear me out**. Let's go across the street to my office to discuss this."

We got off the lift and proceeded to the skywalk that would take us across the street over to DeBakey. I was thunderous, my fists tightly clenched as I followed Don though the hallways and into his office. People scattered in apparent fear and made way as we went.

Don shut the door and said loudly and with the voice of command, "**Sit down and do not say a word until I finish!" **I sat down and crossed my arms, my fists still clenched.

"Martin, as I have told you many times before your reputation precedes you. Not only that, everyone knows most of what has transpired since you came down with the Haemophobia. I will tell you now that at face value all of that _does not make you look good_. Those who do not know you personally will automatically assume that you are nothing more than a washed up old has been which, by the way, probably explains why we are _the only ones in the world who are willing to roll the dice on you."_

"When I told Foghorn last week that you were finally ready to get off the bench and we might have a shot at getting you Ramirez's position he was over the moon. For about a minute. Then he told me that hiring you would be a **_great risk_** and we had to be **_absolutely positive_** that not only would you be up to it but also what your true motivation was. Foghorn said quite frankly that in order to get the board to sign off on you that they would want to give you the full Spanish Inquisition treatment. The very same treatment you were expecting out of them today. We both agreed that knowing how you are the board would get nothing out of you that would give them the confidence to hire you. Why? Because you simply will not discuss things of a personal nature with just anyone and quite possibly that line of questioning would cause you to go nuclear and storm out. Foghorn asked me to find out your true motivations for wanting to leave your current situation. He said that he and the board wanted to know if they were good reasons, they did not need the details and would not ask because it would be improper for them to do so."

"Now, if you want to know the contents of the conference call that took place this morning you can listen to them. When it is finished, do not say anything for I will have something further to say. After that if you desire to go nuclear on me and stomp out you may do so." He logged onto his computer and pulled up the video file of their conference call.

We watched the video.

When it was done he said "As you have just seen I was asked two simple questions that required only an answer of yes or no. I did not disclose **_anything_** of a personal nature through words, inflection or facial gestures. I would **_never _**do that-not only are you a good friend but I view you like the son I never had at times. I wanted to help you and I had to do this in order to do so and I am truly sorry that my actions have upset you."

Don leaned back in his chair, grabbed the arms on it and said "I am properly braced for the explosion, you may now speak."

I uncrossed my arms, took a deep breath and said, "I hope you understand why I was angry. I am satisfied that you did not reveal anything of a personal nature and I now understand both your and the boards motivations. You know me well."

Don breathed a sigh of relief and said "Maybe not as well as you think, I was fully expecting you to go ballistic!. You _have_ changed, Martin." I replied "I have had to learn to control my temper. Fatherhood will do that to you. This is not to say I don't on occasion wind myself up into, as you called it, a patented Martin Ellingham nuclear rant when dealing with fools and village idiots."

Don leaned forward and relaxed. "So, are we still friends?" I replied "Yes. But I still think you are a sneaky person!" Don laughed and said "I can live with that! Now, I have all the paper work you need to take back with you and we still need to you sign those two letters. That is if you still want the jobs after finding out that I am a sneaky little bastard…"

I pulled out my fountain pen and said "Hand them over." He slid the letters across his desk, I signed them and passed them back. "Fantastic! I have been waiting for this for a very long time." Don said as he put the letters in a desk drawer and handed me the packet with my contract and other paperwork. "Let's get out of here. It is almost 5pm and we have to get to Papasito's by 7. You might want to get out of that suit and into some casual clothes, we will be out on the patio and it will be rather warm out there.'

Don called the valet service to tell them that he would need his car in about five minutes. He locked his desk and asked "Ready to go?" I nodded and we started walking towards the skywalk to get to the lobby.

Don tipped the valet and we got into the car and stated heading back to his house. "I think you will enjoy the place we are going for dinner. It is nothing fancy but they have very good food. It's Tex-Mex and just about all of us know the menu by heart so if you want to know what something is like just ask. I think you will like everyone that will be attending the dinner. When we get back from dinner we can kick back and relax-maybe start working on some of the things you need to start working on like finding a place to live. Your flight will be leaving at 6pm tomorrow night so if there is anything you would like to see or do tomorrow before you go just say the word.' I replied "I would like to look for something special to take back for James Henry."


	10. Chapter 10-An Ominous Message

**_Chapter 10: An Ominous Message_**

Back at the house I changed out of my suit and into my casual clothes that Louisa had bought me so long ago. They were a bit loose but still fit. I always feel strange wearing them. I am much more comfortable in a suit; the trousers aren't so tight in the crotch area-I always feel the need to 'rearrange things' while wearing jeans. It can be a _most_ _uncomfortable feeling_... Besides, Don was right, it was very warm out and I would have sweated to death in a suit. I guess I am going to have to get used to wearing clothes of this nature if I am going to live here, even on this fall evening it is still about ten degrees warmer than the average Cornwall summer day. At least finding clothes that fit me properly should not be too difficult. Unlike Cornwall it seems that people of my height and body type are rather common here. Continuing on that train of thought I realized that I had not bumped my head once on the ceiling or a door jamb since I left Port Wenn.

I checked for messages again and found a somewhat ominous one. It was a message from Robert and it contained one word, "Congratulations!" The news has already leaked! I looked at the time, converted it to BST and decided to call him. "Hello Martin! How are you and how is Houston?" he said cheerily. There was obviously no point in denying where I was so replied, "I am good and Houston is fine, at least the small part that I have seen. It's very warm." Robert laughed and said "I knew that message would get your attention and I must say that I am very happy for you. It is about time you finally got out of Cornwall and back to what you were born to do. You were wasting away there." "How many people know about this, Robert? I need to keep it quiet until I can tell my son. I don't want him to get upset by hearing it from someone besides me." Robert replied "As far as I know only me, though you know news like that won't stay quiet for long. The World Wide Rumor Mill is swift and ruthless. When are you coming back?" I replied "I will be back Monday morning; I cancelled my morning appointments and will open the Surgery in the afternoon. I am going to get ahold of Chris as soon as I can and let him know that I will be resigning so he can start looking for a replacement. Then I have to get ahold of Louisa and tell her and figure out the best way to break the news to James Henry. It is a delicate situation" "When are they going to announce your appointment, Martin?" "Not until my solicitor goes over the contract and I sign it, a couple of days at least. Hopefully that will give me enough time to deal with breaking the news to James Henry." Robert replied "I will try to keep a lid on it here as best I can but you know full well that is not going to stay quiet for long. I am going to have to steel myself for the onslaught once it does break, especially from Edith Montgomery. You know that she is rather obsessed with you and once she finds out she is going to come after you again, especially now that you will no longer be a GP in a Corninsh backwater but the Head of CV surgery at Methodist and associate researcher at DeBakey." I groaned "Oh, gawd...She is the last thing I need to deal with. I tried very hard to get it through her head that what little we had together was over decades ago and that I want nothing to do with her. She apparently is not very good at grasping the obvious." "You know the old saying, Martin. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Well, it is late here and I was about to go to sleep when you called so I think I will get to bed. I am sure you are busy too and need to go." I replied "Yes, I am about to go to out to dinner with Don and some of the heads and attendings. Good Night, Robert, and thank you for trying to keep things quiet." "Enjoy your dinner, Martin, and I will talk to you when you get back. Good Night!"

I felt somewhat relieved and upset. Relieved that Robert would try to keep things quiet, upset that Edith Montgomery might rear her head up in my life again. Why can't that bloody, bony arsed woman just leave me alone?

There was a knock on the door "You ready to go, Martin?" I got up and opened the door and said "Yes. I am ready." We walked down to the car and started on our way to the restaurant. "Don, the news is already out! I got a message from Robert congratulating me on my new job." "Oh, Christ, I wonder who shot their mouth off. I know it wasn't one of the board members or Foghorn, I am going to guess that one of those who saw us on our tour put two and two together. We have quite an international staff and I am sure that there are many who have contacts over in Britain. You knew that news like this wouldn't keep quiet for long, but I had hoped it would for a bit longer than it did. I am sorry this has happened." I replied, "Robert said he would try to keep a lid on it and news of this nature comes very slow to Cornwall. The only persons I do not want to find out before I tell them are Chris, Louisa and James Henry, the rest of them can sod off."

We stopped at a very busy intersection by the freeway and Don asked "How do you think Chris is going to take this news? He has been a good friend to you and I am sure leaving is going to put him in a bit of a bind." I replied "He will be upset about having to find someone to replace me but I think he will be glad for me personally. I told you about that woman they hired when I was going to leave for Imperial-totally incompetent! The PCT was more concerned about her 'bedside manner' then her capabilities as a doctor. If I were to guess they will close the surgery and send everyone to Wadebridge. Not a good situation but considering all other factors it would be for the best. They probably won't find anyone that will want to go to Port Wenn and if they actually do find someone who is competent the village idiots will send him or her packing within a year. Speaking of that one of the things I need to do when I get back is arrange to put the surgery up for sale. I want to make a clean break of it with my only tie left to Britain to be James Henry." Don looked at me and said "Are you going to be able to handle it being far away from him?" I looked out the window towards the northeast, towards England "I don't know...I don't know...I didn't tell you this earlier but I got a message from him today. It was a picture of him with Louisa, Stephan, his children and parents. He said that he was having a good time at the party, he really likes his new grandpa and grammy and he and his new brothers and sisters were having a lot of fun. Seeing that made the situation hit home for me. I am losing him. I am losing him and there isn't a _damned thing_ I can do about it. I would be losing him if I stayed in Port Wenn, too. In fact it might be harder to bear living in Port Wenn where I would see him with his new family regularly doing things that do _not_ include me. Perhaps it is for the best...but that knowledge does not lessen the **_pain_**." My vision became blurry from the tears that were forming in my eyes; Don put a hand on my shoulder and said "It doesn't have to be that way. I know you and I know that your son loves you. That will _never_ change unless you _allow_ it to. Will Louisa let you bring him over for visits or to go on trips with you?" I replied "We will have to work that out but I do not think she would have any objection." Don brightened and said, "I know what you can get James Henry! You can get him a tablet computer. It is fairly small and easy for a child to use. That way you two can talk on Skype whenever you or he want and he can show you things that he is doing and you can show him things that you are doing. Using Skype would be better than just a regular phone call. Not only that but it would be something really 'cool' for him to have-he can play games on it, use it for schoolwork, take pictures and videos and every time he uses it he will think of you because his daddy gave it to him because he always wants to be near him no matter what. When we get back we can look on Amazon UK for suitable ones and they can have it shipped to the surgery by Monday. That way you can set it up for him and have it ready when you see him." I looked at Don and smiled "That is a terrific idea!" The light changed and Don drove on "I know what we can do tomorrow before you leave. We can go and take pictures to put on the tablet for him-pictures of the hospital and people you will be working with, pictures of the city so he knows what it looks like. If we have time maybe hotfoot it down to Galveston and take some pictures there-of the Gulf and the beaches, of the Pleasure Pier and the rides. That way he will have a visual reference to things and the area you will talk about. It will be almost like he is here with you. Once you are here you can show him pictures of your house, your car, your office and anything else that you might want him to see and send them to him." I replied "Yes, that would be an excellent idea!"

We turned into a parking lot of a restaurant that was built to look like a rundown old café, Don swung the Mercedes into a parking space and turned it off. "Here we are, I hope you are hungry! I know I am and the food is wonderful here. By the way, if you have enough memory on your phone take some video of us tonight for James Henry. It might be better for him to see your new coworkers out of their lab coats and black or blue scrubs and in normal clothes all laughing and having a good time. Video would be better than pictures, that way everyone can say 'Hi' to him and we can take some video of you with everyone, too." I checked my phone and it did indeed have enough room for what Don was suggesting. "Sounds good!" Don opened the car door and said "Well, let's go in, shall we?"


	11. Chapter 11-Les bon temps rouler

**_Chapter 11: Laissez les bon temps rouler!_**

The restaurant was a riot of color and sound in glow of the setting sun. At a big table on the patio I saw Foghorn sitting there with seven people. There was a waiter grinding something up in a Molcajete. When he saw us coming up the steps he stood up, walked towards us and said "Laissez les bon temps rouler, mes amis! Come on over, the party has already started. We've got fresh Guacamole, Salsa Roja, Salsa Verde, Queso and chips, all that you two need now is something to drink. Pull up a chair and let me introduce you to everyone."

We walked over to the table and sat down. Foghorn went around to the other side of the table, putting his hands on the shoulders of each person as he introduced them. He started with a ginger haired man with a handsome Irish face "This is Dr. Ryan McCarthy our head of Neurosurgery. About as Boston Irish as they come but we won't hold that against him!" He walked over to a doll-like Japanese woman with a doll-like face "This is Dr. Matsuko Yamamoto our head of OB/Gyn and wife of that lucky Irish devil!" Next he went to a short, tough, pugnacious looking woman wearing a Yankees Baseball cap "This is Dr. Claire Smith, CV attending-don't piss her off or she will go full 'Bronx' on you!" to which she said with a thick New York accent "I oughta go full 'Bronx' on you for that _fine_ introduction, Foghorn!" He laughed and said "It wouldn't be the first time, honey!" as he walked over to a muscular blond man with sky blue eyes "This is Dr. Ivan Komarov our head of Ortho and a former Oxonian like yourself". The man next to him was a thin, wiry man with brown hair that looked like he had crawled out of a Norman Rockwell painting "This is Dr. Karl Spruance, our head of Trauma. Worked at Landstuhl for many years, he has seen it all." Foghorn next put his hands lovingly on a beautiful Indian woman with glittering black eyes wearing a petit phul and nath "And this is Dr. Chandra Patel-Thibodeaux, our head of general and my lovely wife. The secret to our marriage is that we don't understand half of what the other says!" She turned, swatted him on the arm and they both laughed. Foghorn walked past Don, patted him on the shoulder and said "Y'all know this guy!" and then walked over to me and said "I would like y'all to meet our new head of cardiovascular surgery effective November 15th, Dr. Martin Ellingham! You better learn some English, Claire!" "Look who's talking!" Claire retorted and everyone laughed, including me, followed by congratulations to me from all.

After the introductions the waiter came with the menus and took the drinks order. I asked for water-you could hear a pin drop and those at the table looked at me like I had grown another head. I said "Alcohol puts me right to sleep and I am still jet lagged so it is best I avoid it tonight." To which Claire said "That is good to know, now where is my bottle of Everclear..." and everyone laughed, including me (again!). I thought to myself that it is going to be an interesting night, definitely not one of those boring introductory dinners I had to attend in London whenever we would get a new department head.

The waiter returned with the drinks and took our orders. I opted for the 'naked' grilled Tilapia with black beans, cilantro rice & grilled vegetables, Don had the Asada Jalisco. While we waited for our food we talked about items various and sundry, heard some hospital gossip, talked about current studies and projects. Ryan and Claire argued about Baseball-from what I gathered Yankee fans & Red Sox fans have a heated rivalry. Foghorn razzed Karl about how poorly the University of Texas teams were doing this year. I learned that Matsuko was distantly related to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and Karl was distantly related to Admiral Raymond Spruance and we discussed how fickle fate can be sometimes-their ancestors commanded the opposing fleets in one of the greatest naval battles of all time and here they are good friends and colleagues. I mentioned that I was from a long line of Royal Navy surgeons and that conversation morphed into a discussion on genealogy. Ivan and I talked about Oxford and the people we knew there. Everyone was also very helpful in answering my questions I had about living and working here-good neighborhoods to live in, the best grocery stores, interesting festivals and annual events to attend and the like. The adventures of driving in Houston brought out many very funny (and not so funny) stories from everyone. The main thing I learned about driving here is that it is not a speed limit but a speed _suggestion_. I told them stories of some of the interesting adventures I had being a GP in Cornwall. Our food came and everyone dug in. Tilapia is a fish I had never tried before and found it and everything else I had to be quite delicious. When Don first mentioned we were having this kind of food I was worried that it might be a bit spicy for me but found that it was not.

After we were done eating we sat and talked for about an hour and I thought about what Don said about the difference in management styles between the 'Buckingham Palace' elite hospitals of London and the 'Disneyland' style here and thought they might be on to something special with this. I never had any fun at any hospital function or dinner party before tonight nor had I ever laughed at one. I hated them and avoided them at all costs in London. At this one I found that I was really enjoying myself and laughing a lot. In fact I cannot remember the last time I laughed this much. It must be the water...

The party broke up at closing time. We all bade each other goodnight and went our separate ways.

Back at the house I changed into my pajamas and went downstairs to the patio. Don was sitting there with his laptop perusing tablet computers on Amazon. I grabbed mine and did the same thing. After much comparing and discussion I decided that I would get James Henry a Kindle Fire HD with 32 GB of memory, it was the most functional one, had Wi-Fi and good parental controls. I ordered it and its peripherals and then checked to see if I had any messages.

I had one message. It was from Louisa...


	12. Chapter 12-Dear Martin

**_Chapter 12: Dear Martin..._**

I opened the message and it read..

_Dear Martin,_

_This is about the 7__th__ email I have tried to write to you because I am not quite sure how to tell you this. I would have come to the surgery to tell you in person but you won't be back until Monday and I wanted you to hear it from me first and not from village gossip._

_Stephan received a letter in the post on Friday. Shortly before we met he had been looking for a new job, he needed to because he was struggling to make ends meet at the time. Well, that letter contained an offer for him to become the headmaster of an excellent boarding school in Worcestershire starting next year. There is a Nursery and Pre-prep teaching position open at the school that would be perfect for me._

_To make a long story short we have decided that the best thing to do is for him to accept the position and for me to apply for there. The salary, benefits and opportunity are just too good to decline. That means we will be leaving Cornwall._

_I know you must think me a terrible hypocrite after the rows we had about sending James Henry to a boarding school but he won't be boarding there, just attending._

_We will have to discuss and change visitation arrangements. I know this will make it harder for you to see James Henry as much as you do now and for that I feel awful but Stephan and I have to think of the family as a whole. I am open to __**all**__ suggestions concerning this matter._

_**I know how much you love him and he loves you.**__ I know that this news is going to be a hard blow for you to take. You have come __**so far**__ over the years and had so many bad things happen in your life. I want to do my utmost to not have this turn into another for you or for him. __**As I have always said he is **__**your**_ _**son **_**and**_** that will **__**never**__** change.**_

_Love,_

_Louisa_

I felt like I had just been hit by a train.

I stared at the pool in the moonlight and thought of all the changes my son would be going through over the next year. His father moving to America, his mother remarrying and his joining a new family, then to top it off his leaving the only home he has ever known and moving to a strange place. I learned some years ago that psychology is not the clap-trap that I thought it was and the psychological ramifications for my son with all these changes hitting him in a short space of time could do a lot of damage. We all had to tread carefully to ensure that the least damage was done to his psyche and try to turn it all into as 'positive' experience for him as we could. That was going to be very difficult.

I surfaced from my thoughts. "Read this, Don." He came over and read the email and let out a soft whistle "WOW! That is a real game changer. What are you going to do?" I replied "I don't know...I'm tired and I think I am going to go to bed." and proceeded to shut down the computer. Don said "I understand. Goodnight, Martin." I went upstairs and crawled into bed, sleep did not come easily but it did come.

I dreamed.


	13. Chapter 13-Always in motion

**_Chapter 13: "Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future."_**

I was awakened Sunday morning by a very loud clap of thunder. As I lay in bed I heard the heavy rain hitting the roof, saw flashes of light from the lighting that was striking nearby and the sound of the wind in the trees. It was somewhat comforting so I lay in my cozy bed thinking about the situation. It seems that fate is forcing me to grasp the obvious-that it is time for me to, as Robert said, get out of Cornwall and do what I was born to do. Everything that has occurred over the last couple years points to it. My aunt essentially disowning me for turning down Imperial. My marriage and divorce. The increasing difficulties I was having with the village idiots in Port Wenn and the surgical idiots at Royal Cornwall. The horrible and frightening trapped feelings I was having before I set myself on this course. Louisa marrying Stephan. My visit to this city and the people I have met has breathed life (and laughter) into my soul in a very short time. A job offer that is everything I had hoped for _and more_. The one thing that had any chance of holding me back was James Henry and now he will be truly moving on. It is a long way from Cornwall to Worcestershire and I certainly would not be seeing him with the frequency I do now. You just can't pop over there in ten minutes.

I watched the rain running down the windows, cleared my mind and meditated on these thoughts for a while. I listened for that quiet nagging voice in my head that had been pestering me since I left England. It eventually came, but it was not nagging me now. It softly whispered "Go." I asked the voice "What about my son?" The voice replied "As Yoda said 'Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.' However, the past is history and the present is now set. You can do nothing to change the course he is on-that is out of your hands. _Accept that fact_. Right now _you_ have to take the road _you_ are on and become what you were meant to be. All will end well if you choose your paths in the future wisely."

I flipped off the covers and got out of bed. I felt calm. The voice was right, I have to let go of the past, accept the present and choose the correct paths in the future. I showered, shaved and brushed my teeth. The rain was coming down harder and the storm seemed to be intensifying. I thought that we probably weren't going much of anywhere until I had to catch my flight so I slid my jeans back on, put on a clean vest and popped my feet into my slippers.

The smell of coffee filled the air as I went downstairs. Don was sitting at the island in the kitchen flipping through the paper. "Good Morning, Don!" "Good Morning, Martin, I hope you slept well! Want some coffee?" "Yes, please." I replied. Don took a cup out of the cupboard and poured me some and said "It's going to be like this all day, according to the radar there is about 700 miles worth of rain coming our way. We might have a difficult time getting to the airport due to street flooding. In a way I am sort of glad this is happening so you can see it. Outside of the occasional hurricane it is rains like this that are about the worst weather you will see. How are you feeling? That email hit you like a ton of bricks."

I took a sip of coffee, sighed contentedly and said "I was rather upset about it last night. I was worried about the effects all of this will have on my son. But in the morning light, or rain as the case may be, I am feeling better about the situation. I long ago accepted the fact that my marriage is _over_. I no longer love Louisa except as one loves a friend and the mother of my child and she no longer loves me except as one loves a friend and the father of her child. I have to accept the fact that there is nothing I can do to change what is happening to James Henry unless I want to go through of a long and drawn out court fight over custody and that would do much more damage than good. All I can do is love him the best I know how and hope. I have accepted the fact that I have to get out of UK or my soul will wither and die on the vine. Most importantly I have to do what I was meant to do and that is not being a GP. My old world has finally shattered and my new world is being born-I guess I am like a Phoenix being reborn out of the ashes. What the future holds no one knows, but I will try to do my best both for myself _and_ for my son. That is **_all_** I have control over. When I came to these realizations I felt a great calm come over me. It is hard to describe."

Don folded up the paper and said "You are about the most intelligent person I know. Today, it seems, you have _finally_ achieved wisdom. This is a good thing." I took another sip of coffee and said "I know." Don looked me in the eye and said, "Well, wise man, you want some breakfast?" I replied "Yes, please. What can I do to help?" We set about making breakfast and sat at the island to eat it. "I don't think we will get any pictures taken today so is there anything you need to do before you go? Oh, _damn_, we forgot to shoot video last night! It's ok, I can find some nice pictures of the area on the internet and send them to you-when you finally get here you can take some on your own." I thought for a minute and said "I think I would like to pick up some more casual clothing, I only have this one pair of jeans and that shirt I wore last night. It is difficult to find clothing off the rack that fits me where I live and it seems that my height and body type is fairly common here so there is probably a better selection. I am going to need casual clothing here. Before I forget what is the usual apparel at work? Do you wear suits and lab coats daily? Don replied "Generally everyone wears scrubs and lab coats unless they have to meet with the board or something, you never know when you might have to jump in and do an emergency procedure. As for casual clothes I know a couple places that will probably have things will fit you and that you will like-one store has very 'dressy' casual wear and the other has true casual clothes. The stores open at noon, if you want to you can pack your stuff up and put it in the trunk of the car then we can go clothes shopping and head directly out to the airport after. It will probably take us a bit longer to get there if the streets start flooding." "That sounds like a good idea." I replied.

Don put the dishes in the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen while I went upstairs and packed. Then we got in the car and took off to go clothes shopping. The streets were already starting to flood. "You will learn fairly quickly which streets are prone to flooding and how to avoid them. You don't want to become a U-Boat commander, if you do you will get stuck with the nickname of 'Captain'!" I shot my eyebrow up and said "U-Boat commander?" Don chuckled and said "If you try to drive through high water and drown your car you are known as a U-Boat commander because you found out the hard way that your car is _not _a submarine. If you hear someone being called Captain you know that sometime in the past that person drown their car." I laughed at that. I know many in Cornwall that could be called 'Captain' who are not members of the fishing fleet, including Louisa.

We spent the afternoon shopping at a huge mall called the Galleria. I found that there was indeed quite a selection of trousers, jeans, shirts, sweaters and jackets that fit me well and looked good on me. I even found a brand of jeans that did not make me feel like I had to constantly 'rearrange things' so I bought five pairs of those. In one store I found some very nice and very soft long-sleeved cotton shirts and I bought four of them. I also picked up some pants, vests and socks. There were some stores that had educational items for children and I bought James Henry some books and toys-he is at the 'Dinosaur obsessed' stage of childhood now. It was nice that I did not have to worry about luggage restrictions for the flight home because I had bought a lot of stuff.

As I was looking at some very nice looking Bulgari cufflinks in a jewelry shop window Don said "It's getting late, we better start on our way to the airport." I went in, bought them and we headed out to the airport. It was still raining heavily so it took us about an hour to get there, we had to drive slower and make a couple detours to avoid the flooding.

We finally arrived at the corporate air terminal at about five o'clock. Don parked under the porte-cochere and we unloaded my luggage and shopping then he went to park the car. I went in and walked up to the reception desk and said "I am Dr. Martin Ellingham. I am scheduled to leave here on a private jet." The attendant smiled at me and said "Yes, sir, we have been expecting you. Your jet is ready and waiting. I will inform the flight crew that you have arrived. If you will follow me I will take you to the customs agent." I followed him and the agent efficiently processed my documents. By the time I was done Don was waiting for me and standing next to him were Ashley and Nicholas-both holding large umbrellas.

"Well, Martin, I guess this is it! I am elated that you are going to be joining us here and I am overjoyed that you have finally found wisdom. I know everything will be alright between James Henry and you because you now have the _wisdom_ to deal with the situation. If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to call me. Oh, before I forget I will have that real estate agent call you later on in the week so you can start looking for a home." I shook his hand and said "Thank you for everything Don. This weekend has been one of the best I have ever had! I am truly lucky to have a friend like you." "No, Martin, I am lucky to have _you_ as a friend! Take very good care and we will see you in a couple weeks!"

I then turned to Ashley and Nicholas and said "I am ready to go."


	14. Chapter 14-Stillpoint in Motion

**_Chapter 14: Stillpoint in Motion_**

Nicholas and one of the ground crew took my luggage onto the plane. Ashley smiled and said "It is truly a pleasure to have you flying with us again, sir! I hope you had a pleasant stay in Houston! If I may, I would like to congratulate you on your new position at Methodist. Our employer told us about it." I replied "I did indeed have an excellent time and thank you for your kind words." "We are ready to take off on your command." I turned back to Don and said "Take care, my friend. See you in a couple of weeks!" Then we headed for the door.

Once on the plane I sat down and buckled my safety belt while Ashley and Nicholas stowed my luggage and prepared for takeoff. The engines started their familiar whine. The pilot spoke of the intercom "We will have a slight delay in takeoff, traffic is a bit backed up due to the weather. Once in the air our estimated travel time is 8 hours, we will have a nice tail wind for a good portion of it." We started taxiing down the ramp to get into the queue for takeoff. I asked Ashley "Does this aircraft have in flight internet capabilities?" She replied "Yes sir, we do. I can assist you with that after we are in the air." After about 10 minutes we were rolling down the runway and gently lifted off into the driving rain. Once we reached level flight I got my laptop out and Ashley helped me connect it to the internet. I logged on and checked for messages, there were none. Well, apparently Robert has been managing to keep it quiet. I was not surprised that I had none from Louisa or James Henry, they had to drive back from Bristol today-a long day for a small child. Knowing James Henry he would be a bit cross by the time they reached Port Wenn. Nicholas came over and asked me if I would like something to drink to which I said I would have some of the Talisker. I am going to need to sleep though most of this flight if I am going to manage to do everything I need to accomplish tomorrow.

Nicholas brought me my drink and I thought about what I needed to do and who I needed to contact. With the news of my appointment already leaking I thought it best to send emails to Chris and Louisa.

I started out with Chris.

_Dear Chris,_

_I wanted to tell you this in person and I __will__ talk to you as soon as I get back but the news is already leaking out. I did not want you to hear it via the rumor mill first._

_I will be resigning my post as the GP in Port Wenn and part time surgeon at Royal Cornwall effective November 1__st__. I have accepted the positions of Head of Cardiovascular Surgery at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas and associate researcher at Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center._

_If it were not for you, my oldest and dearest friend, I probably would be __**dead**__ by now. You befriended me when no one else dared. You took me in when all had abandoned me. You gave me hope when my life was crashing down around me after the onset of my Haemophobia. You gave me a job when none would hire me. You have defended me and my actions more times than I can count. You listened to me and supported me though the dark days that were the end of my marriage. You gave me guidance that enabled me to make peace with Louisa so we could part as friends. You taught me, by example, how to be a good father._

**_I owe you everything. I owe you my life._**

_I know how things go and I will __**not**__**allow**__my friendship with you to diminish due to distance. If there is anything that I can do to help you out in either a personal or professional capacity I will do it. If you need me, just call me day or night and I will be there!_

_I will call you as soon as I possibly can when I get back. By the way, Louisa and James Henry know __**nothing**__ of this yet. I am going to send her an email stating that it is imperative that I speak to her tonight after I close the surgery. _

_Your friend,_

_Martin_

I sent that email off. One down and one to go.

_Dear Louisa,_

_I received your email last night and I apologise for not replying sooner. I have been very busy and have not had the time to do so until now. I am truly happy for you and Stephan, that is a wonderful job for him and I am sure they will hire you for that teaching post. I am sure that you all will be very happy living there._

_I have news, too. I really need to tell you this in person and not convey it dryly in an email. It is __**absolutely imperative**__ that I talk to you tonight after I close the surgery._

**_Please be there._**

_Please..._

_Martin_

I reread the email then hit send.

I finished off my scotch and walked up to the front of the plane. "I am going to need to sleep though most of this flight in order to do all I need to do when I get back so I am going to go to bed now. Please wake me two hours before landing. Once again I want to thank you for your assistance." Ashley said "We understand and will wake you at the time requested. What would you like for breakfast, sir?" I thought about it and said "If possible a boiled egg and some wholemeal toast, orange juice or fresh fruit if you have it and tea." "We will have that ready for you when you wish to eat. Good Night, sir!"

I walked back to the state room, performed my nightly hygiene, put on my pajamas and crawled into bed. I was asleep within minutes.

I dreamed.


	15. Chapter 15-A Very Long Day

**_Chapter 15: A Very Long Day_**

I was awakened by a soft knock on the door and Ashley's voice. "Good Morning, sir! We are two hours away from Exeter and should be landing at approximately 7am BST. The weather at that time will be rain, temperature of 8°C, humidity of 90% and a southwest wind blowing at 45 km/h." Thank you." I replied. I rubbed my eyes and thought to myself "This is going to be a _very_ long day." I performed my morning hygiene routine and selected a black suit, white shirt, red tie with a subtle paisley print and I dug into one of my shopping bags and pulled out the gold and red enamel cufflinks I had bought. I looked at myself in the mirror and thought that the cufflinks looked good with this combination. I went out into the cabin to find that the table had already been set and waiting for my breakfast. "Good Morning, sir! I hope you slept well. Please sit down sir and I will bring you your tea. Breakfast will be ready shortly." Nicholas said cheerily. I sat down at the table and replied "Thank you." I grabbed my laptop case and pulled out the contract and started to read it as I sipped my tea. It was pretty much a standard contract and I did not see any problems in it but I am sure my solicitor will find any if they are buried in the fine print. I noted that they were offering a very generous benefits package to accompany the salary including 6 weeks of vacation time. That would prove helpful, I could divide that up into long weekends and fly over to spend time with my son. All of that would depend, of course, on what new arrangements Louisa and I made concerning visitation.

Breakfast arrived. A boiled egg, two slices of toast, fresh pineapple, orange juice and a fresh pot of tea. Nicholas said "Enjoy your breakfast, sir!" and walked back to the front of the plane. As I ate I looked over the immigration paperwork. I also found that they had included an application form for the ACS, info on how to obtain a Texas driver's license. I perused the list of automobiles offered. I thought the Jaguar XKR would do quite nicely. In a dark blue metallic, I think. If I remember correctly I think James Henry has a toy car of that model of Jaguar in a blue color, maybe which is why I was drawn to it. A hand touched my shoulder. It was Ashley. "Sir, we need to clear the table and stow away everything in preparation for landing." "Yes, of course. Please thank the chef for the fine breakfast." I put all the paperwork back into my laptop case and went back to my seat. I looked out the window and saw nothing but rain. I thought about all I had to do today and in the coming weeks, pulled out a notepad and started making a list.

I could feel the plane starting to slow and descend. A few minutes later I felt the wheels gently touch the surface of the runway. We taxied up to the Exeter Corporate Aviation terminal and stopped. Nicholas opened the door and said "Ashley will escort you to the customs agent in the terminal, I will follow with your luggage." We walked into the terminal and I thanked Ashley and Nicholas for their assistance. Ashley said "It has been our pleasure, sir! We will see you in a couple of weeks." I guess Don has already made arrangements for me to fly to back to Houston. I wondered who this friend of his is that is willing to be so generous to a complete stranger. It must have cost him many thousands of dollars to fly me to Houston and back.

I passed through customs easily, grabbed my luggage and headed for the car. When I got in I turned my phone on. There were over 50 text messages congratulating me on my new position! My voicemail box was already full! I didn't bother to listen to or read them outside of checking if any were from Chris or Louisa. None of them were. The news was out and now it is a race against time.

After I had cleared Exeter and was out in the country I called Chris, I had wanted to wait until I got back to the surgery but I thought I had better do it right away. "Hello, Chris!" "Hello, Martin, and congratulations! I am so happy for you! My god, that is your dream job and I know you will excel at it-you have lost none of your knowledge, skills or expertise. Your email really touched my heart, too. I showed it to my wife and she started crying. You have gone through _so much_ in your life and have come _so far_-you deserve to have good things happen to you. It is an honor to be _your friend_ and we will miss you, Martin. More than you know. I had expected something like this would occur. Over the past year I had seen how increasingly upset you were getting with your whole situation. On those rare occasions that you would let your guard down I could see the look of a restless, trapped animal in your eyes. I felt badly for you." "Thank you for those kind words, my friend! I will miss you too. I should be coming back to the UK a couple times during the year to visit James Henry and maybe we can get together during those times. I don't know when because Louisa and I have to work out a new visitation schedule. Louisa will be moving to Worcestershire next year, by the way. Her soon to be husband is going to be headmaster at a boarding school and there is a position open at the same school that would be perfect for her. Perhaps you and the family can come to Houston to visit after I get set up. I would be pleased to have you and would do my utmost to show you a good time." Chris replied "We would love to! Hold on for a second...Yes, Mary? OK, tell them I will be right there! Martin, I have to go. Call me back later on tonight or I will call you and we can talk about this further." "That sounds good. Louisa will becoming over sometime tonight, _hopefully_, so I am going to guess I will be calling you sometime after 9pm. Until then, Chris."

The rest of the drive was uneventful and I pulled into my parking spot next to the surgery shortly after 10am. I turned off the car and got out. I looked over the harbor towards the school and heaved a heavy sigh. The weather was starting to clear and sunshine was starting to poke through the clouds. As I was unloading my car the giggling gaggle of teenaged harpies walked by (don't they ever go to school?) and they 'greeted' me with their usual vacuous banter punctuated by one or two "Tosser!"'s for good measure. One of them had noticed what one of the shopping bags said on the side and said "Houston? That's a long way to go just for a shag, doc. You probably couldn't find anyone closer than that." Great, now that will be all over the village within minutes and the rumor mill will crank itself up to 11 again. I smiled and thought that I won't have to put them much longer.

I had just finished unpacking when I heard Morwenna come in. I thought about how much she has matured over the years she has been my receptionist. She is now a very competent young woman and has been a great help to me. Underneath that somewhat birdbrained exterior lies a very smart and capable person. I went downstairs to the kitchen where she was making some coffee and said "Good Morning, Morwenna! I hope you had a good weekend." "Good Morning, Doc! Ohmigawd! Have you heard that Louisa is moving to Worcestershire? She submitted her resignation this morning! It's all over the village." I replied "Yes, I know. She emailed me the news over the weekend." "Speaking of the weekend, how was yours, Doc? Did you enjoy yourself wherever it was that you went?" I smiled at her and said "Yes, I did." "You smiled again! What is going on with you, Doc? You have a very nice smile, no disrespect intended but you look younger when you do." "By the way, could you come in a half hour early tomorrow morning? There is something I need to discuss with you." "Ohmigawd! Have I done something wrong?" "Not at all, I just want to talk to you about some changes that will be coming very soon to the surgery." "Whew! You had me going there for a minute. Anyway, you have a lot of appointments for this afternoon, starting with Mrs. Miller at one o'clock."

Louisa called during her break and said she would meet me at the surgery at 7pm. I could hear in her voice that she had heard about my trip to Houston and was worried about the news I was going to tell her. She has probably been jumping to conclusions in her head about what is going since she read my email and add to that the fact that I had not gone to Paris, as the rumor mill concluded, but to Houston. The afternoon parade of colds, sore throats, ear infections, rashes and other minor complaints passed slowly. Every single patient told me about Louisa resigning as headmistress and expressed their opinion on the subject. The giggling gaggle of teenaged harpies had performed their duty as the unofficial town heralds because I was asked by _every_ patient about my weekend in Houston.

After the last patient Morwenna and I closed the surgery for the day and bade each other goodnight. Having no fresh food in the house I went down to the shops and bought some nice lamb chops and vegetables and picked up a packet of the chocolate digestives that Louisa prefers. I think she is going to need them, they do calm her down. I cooked and ate my dinner, tidied up and set things up to make a pot of that herbal tea that Louisa likes once she arrives.

Precisely at 7pm there was a knock on the kitchen door. It was Louisa.


	16. Chapter 16-Tea for Two

**_Chapter 16: Tea for Two_**

"Good evening, Martin." Louisa said as I opened the door. "Good evening, Louisa, please come in" She came in and sat down. "Would you like some tea? I have that herbal tea you like." "Yes, please." As I was putting the kettle on I saw that she was staring at the small plate of chocolate digestives that I had set on the table next to the teacups, spoons and sugar. I could tell by the look in her eyes she was getting panicky-I have seen that look too many times before. She was probably winding herself up into thinking that I had some really bad "I am dying" type of news for her because I would not have those sitting out for her unless it was.

"How was your trip to Bristol? I received James Henry's message that you sent for him from your phone. I appreciated it. He looked like he was having a lot of fun and for that I am glad." Louisa looked up from the plate and said "We did have a very good time. James was very shy at first and I worried that he might not like Stephan's parents but Stephan's father showed him his model train set up and that was it. He was in 5½ year old heaven. I knew the ice had broken when James started to show them all his Dinosaurs with full descriptions of each. His parents babysat for us so we could go out on the town Saturday night, too. That was nice of them and we had a very good time." I replied "I am so glad that everything seems to be working out so nicely for you two. Stephan is a good man and you _deserve_ to be happy, Louisa." Louisa looked into my eyes and said "That means _a lot_ to me. It really does."

The kettle was boiling so I poured some of the water into the pot, brought it to the table and sat down. Louisa continued "I know our moving to Worcestershire is going to pose some problems for you but I really want to work it out so you can see James as much as possible..." I held up my hand to interrupt her and said "Louisa, let me tell you my news first then we can discuss working out a new visitation schedule amongst other things." "OK, go ahead." she replied shakily.

I poured our tea and put the cozy on the teapot, took a deep breath and looked at her. Her eyes were going wide in anticipation. "I know you and everyone in this village were wondering where I went last weekend. I did not go to Paris with 'some woman' as the rumor mill thought; I went to Houston, Texas. I am sure you remember me mentioning an old friend of mine named Dr. Donovan Kane, he now lives in Houston and I went to see him. It _was_ partly a visit to see an old friend but the main reason why I went was for a job interview. They hired me and beginning November 15th I will be the Head of Cardiovascular Surgery at Methodist Hospital and associate researcher at Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. I have talked to Chris and I will be resigning as GP for Port Wenn effective November 1st.' Louisa jumped out of her chair, ran over to me and gave me a great big hug "Oh Martin! I am so _GLAD_ for you! This is wonderful news! You deserve to have good things happen to you! I am so _PROUD_ of you and I know James will be proud of his daddy, too!" We gently separated ourselves from the hug and sat back down. I said "My greatest fear is that I will lose James Henry. _I love him so much_... I am afraid that he is going to think I am abandoning him..." Louisa gently took my hand and said "Martin, he will _not_ think that if we handle things properly. In fact he is afraid that, by moving with Stephan and me to Worcestershire, _you_ will think he is _abandoning you_ and that _you_ won't love him anymore. In fact, he spent most of last night crying about that. We need to reassure him that we both love him very much. We need to let him know that you will be coming to see him as much as possible even though it won't be just about every day like it is here where we live a mile away from each other. I have _absolutely no problems_ with you taking him to Texas for a visit once your living arrangements are settled so he can see where you live and visiting you thereafter or going on trips to different places with you. _I know he is in the very best of hands with you._ There are other ways of keeping in contact, too..." I slid the box from Amazon across the table and said "I had thought of that. I bought him a Kindle Fire. It has Wi-Fi and Skype on it so we could see each other while we talk plus send each other pictures and videos. Don and I were going to take pictures of the city yesterday but there was a terrible rain storm all day and that wasn't feasible so he sent me some pictures of the hospital, the people I will be working with and the city via email today. I am going to set this up for him and load the pictures on it after we get done talking..." "Oh Martin, that is a _wonderful_ idea! Perfect, in fact! He will love it!"

I poured us both another cup of tea and continued "I have six weeks of holiday time a year per my contract so I was thinking of perhaps using some of that to create long weekends so I can fly here to visit him. I was also wondering if you would be willing to let him come visit me during the spring and fall half terms. Naturally, I would come and get him and bring him back so he would not be traveling alone and we would fly first class and non-stop so he has as little disruption to his sleep patterns as possible. Perhaps...maybe I could also take him for part of the summer breaks, too, if you do not have other plans for him and the family. Perhaps you could all come and visit if you like. Of course that is all up to you and I am open to any and all suggestions you might have." Louisa replied "That would be wonderful but won't that be awfully expensive for you?" I got up from the table and got the packet of papers from my office. I pulled them out and showed her my contract. "As you can see money is hardly going to be a problem. They made me an offer I could not refuse." She dropped her teacup; I got a towel and wiped up the tea then refilled her cup. "Ye gods, Martin!" "They are also providing me with a vehicle and a mortgage allotment." I showed her the list with the automobiles and said "I selected the Jaguar XKR in a dark blue metallic color; I thought James Henry might like that, he as a toy car of that model if I am not mistaken." She replied "Yes, he does. It is his favorite." "I am also going to give you more money in child support and adding more money to his trust fund now that my salary will be increasing. You will need it as he grows. I will have my solicitor draw up the papers stating as such for your peace of mind. I know how so many men have been when it comes to supporting their children and I do not want you to have any worries where that is concerned." "I have_ never_ worried about that with you, Martin. You are an honorable and generous man. You have always ensured that we have the best of everything."

We sat and talked for another hour hashing out everything and she agreed to my plan with one caveat-that on the long weekend visitations we arrange them in advance because their might be school or other functions that they might have to attend. We also agreed to tell James Henry about this tomorrow morning before school because I had to officially post my resignation tomorrow. She called the school receptionist and told her that she would not be in until 11am and I rescheduled my appointments up to that time, too. That way we would have plenty of time to deal with the situation.

After all was said and done Louisa got up to leave. I opened the door for her and we bade each other good night. I was worn out so I called Chris and told him that I was beat and that I would call him tomorrow and went to bed shortly thereafter. I set my alarm clock for 6am so I would have time to set up the Kindle for James Henry before we met.


	17. Chapter 17-Breakfast for Three

**_Chapter 17: Breakfast for Three_**

The arrival of 6am was announced by the alarm clock. I had a lot to do before Louisa and James Henry arrived for breakfast so I got up and headed for the bathroom. My morning hygiene done I walked over to the armoire to select a suit for today. As I was looking at the lineup of suits I thought "Perhaps I should wear some of the new clothing I bought. It might make James Henry feel more comfortable. I will have time to 'suit up' for today's surgery after breakfast." I grabbed a pair of jeans, one of those soft cotton shirts in a slate blue and the new walking shoes and belt I had bought to go with them. I slid them on and went downstairs. I went into the office to boot up my laptop then went into the kitchen, unpacked the Kindle and its peripherals and put the packing materials in the recycling bin. Setting it up took less than ten minutes from start to finish so I sat there and played with it for a bit to learn how to run it then left it to charge up the batteries. James Henry will have no problems running this.

Don had sent a video of everyone who was at the dinner along with many nice photos of the hospital, Houston and Galveston. I watched the video. It was shot in one of the operating theatres with everyone in their scrubs, lab coats and hats. Don was in the video too so he must have had someone else shoot it. They all were smiling and said 'Hi, James Henry!' in unison then each were shot closer up. The first one was Don "My name is Dr. Donovan Kane. Your daddy and I have been friends for a very long time. I will be working with your daddy to think of new ways to heal people's hearts and blood vessels so they feel better. I wear the hat with the leaves on it." Next was Foghorn I thought "James Henry is not going to understand a _word_ he says!" just as I was thinking that Claire popped in from the side, smiled at the camera and held up large pieces of cardboard with the words that Foghorn was saying. Foghorn laughed and said "My name is Jean-Baptiste Thibodeaux but everyone calls me Foghorn because it is easier to say than my name. I will be your daddy's new boss. I wear the hat with the cartoon characters on it because I look like a cartoon and I am a character. We are _all_ happy your daddy is coming to work with us and I _promise_ I will be nice to him." I laughed to myself. "My name is Dr. Ryan McCarthy and I am a neurosurgeon –I help repair people's brains and nerves. I like Baseball and my hat has my favorite team's logo on it, the Boston Red Sox. I have a son your age named Sean, when you come here you two can play and have fun!" The next one was of Claire. Just as she was about to speak Foghorn popped into the picture, smiled at the camera and held up cardboard cards with her words on them. Claire shot him a playful 'I'm gonna get you for this!' look. "My name is Dr. Claire Smith. Your daddy will be my new boss and I am going to help him fix people's hearts and blood vessels. I wear the hat with the logo of the _BEST_ Baseball team in the world on it, the New York Yankees. When you come here we will all take you to see a game." The rest of them went on in similar fashion. At the end Don said that they were happy that I was coming to work with them, they would take good care of me and that they could not wait to meet him. Then they all waved and smiled "See you later!" I thought to myself that James Henry will like this video and what a good group of people I am going to be working with.

Next I took out my contract, scanned it and sent the pdf off to my solicitor. I called him and left him voicemail asking him to review the contract and call me if he spotted any problems. I also said that I was going to need to revise my child support agreement in a couple of weeks after I determined the new amounts and that I needed a letter of consent drawn up allowing Stephan to make emergency decisions concerning James Henry if Louisa was incapacitated. That done I called Chris "Hello, Chris! Sorry I couldn't talk last night, I was really tired." "Hello Martin! Totally understandable and no need to apologize. How did your talk with Louisa go?" "It went well and I am feeling better about the situation. I have little time to talk at the moment, Louisa is bringing James Henry over for breakfast and we are going to break the news to him. I am going to fax a copy of my resignation letter over to you so you can get the process of replacing me going and I will put the letter in the post later today. I will also post a notice of that fact on the surgery bulletin board. I will try to call you later so we can talk if you aren't busy." "That will be fine, Martin! I have a meeting to get to and I know you have things to do so we will talk later."

My phone calls done I then started to type my resignation letter. When done I printed it out, signed it, faxed a copy to Chris and put it in an envelope. Next I typed up the notice to go on the surgery bulletin board. That is when it dawned on my-I had forgotten that I had asked Morwenna to come in early to tell her that I was leaving. I called her "Hello, Doc! Is there something wrong? You told me to come in at 8:30am and it is not that time yet." "Everything is fine, no need to worry. I just called to say that I am not opening the surgery until 11am so come in at 10:30; I have already rearranged the appointments. I will be paying you for the full day so no need to worry about that. I have some personal matters to attend to." "OK, Doc, see you then!"

It was almost 8 o'clock. I started the water to boil, warmed up the espresso machine, got out the boxes of cereal I keep in the pantry for when James Henry visits and set the table. Just as I was finishing up there was a knock on the kitchen door, I could tell it was Louisa and James Henry by their silhouettes on the glass. "Good Morning, Louisa!" "Good Morning James Henry, how are you today?" I said as I picked him up and hugged him. "Please come in." "I am really good, daddy! I was so happy when mummy told me we were going to have breakfast with you. Daddy, why you aren't wearing a suit?" "I had some things to do today that this clothing is more appropriate for, I will put a suit on when I open the surgery." "I like this shirt, daddy. It feels really soft." "I am glad you do, I thought you might like it." Louisa said "You look very nice, Martin."

Louisa sat down and as I was placing James Henry in the chair opposite to her I asked "What would you like for breakfast, James Henry?" "I want Egg and Soldiers!" Louisa said that she would have that too so I set about making Egg and Soldiers for three. Louisa poured Orange juice for all and milk for James Henry. While the eggs were boiling I made espressos for Louisa and me.

I served breakfast and we began to eat. James Henry polished off his food, looked at his plate and said with a trembling voice "Daddy...mummy told me that we were going to be moving away after school ends next year. Stephan got a job in Worcestershire and we are all going to go there with him. They showed me pictures of where we are moving to, it is a big school and we will live there in a big house. They have parks and places to play and I can even learn to ride a horse there, too. I told mummy that I did not want to go because I would miss you and you would be all alone here. I love you, daddy, and I don't want you to be all alone! I was really sad but mummy said you understand. You would come see me and it will be fun because we will go on trips together, just the two of us. Is it OK for me to go with Stephan and mummy to Worcestershire? I don't want you to feel like I am ab...aban...what was that word you used, mummy? Louisa said "Abandoning." "Yes, that's it! I don't want you to feel like that."

My eyes misted up. I walked around the table, picked him up and cradled him in my arms. I looked in his eyes...eyes so very much like my own...and I said "I love you _so much_ and that will _never_ change! Mummy did tell me all about it and I do understand why you will be moving. I think you will be very happy living there. I will come and see you as often as I can and, yes, we will go on trips together. I won't be all alone here for I have something to tell you. I am moving away from Port Wenn, too. I am moving to Texas to work with my friends in a big hospital-I am going to be a surgeon again so I can help save many people's lives and make them feel better. After I get a new house and settled in I will come and take you there for a visit, I think you will like it." "Where is Texas, daddy?" "It is in the United States, I will be living in a big city called Houston." I reached across the table and picked up the Kindle. "I did not want you to feel like I was abandoning _you_ so I bought this for you. It is called a Kindle and we will be able to see and talk to each other every day with it. We can send each other photos and videos of what we are doing, too. Even though we may not be living in Port Wenn together _you will be with me every single minute of the day and I will be with you_. Sometimes things like this happen but that doesn't mean that it has to be a bad thing. Everything will be alright because we love each other and will see each other and talk to each other. Is it OK for me to go to Houston and be a surgeon?"

James Henry looked into my eyes and said "Yes, daddy. I want you to be with your friends so you won't be alone and go help people. As long as we love each other we will always be together. I love you, daddy, and that will _never_ change!" We hugged and kissed. He sat up in my lap and said "How does this work, daddy?" "I will show you how to work everything on it and use a thing called Skype which is how we will talk to each other but for now I wanted to show you some pictures of the place I am moving to and a video my friends made for you." Louisa moved over to the side of the table we were sitting at and sat down next to us. I ran the video. Both of them laughed at Foghorn and Claire. James Henry said they talked funny but he really liked them all and was glad I had friends like that then he asked "Daddy, what hat do you wear?" I replied "I haven't picked one out yet, maybe you can help me with that later." I then showed them the pictures. Don had made notations on them to identify what they were and had done a very good job in selecting them. When the slide show was done "Wow! You are going to live in a really neat place, daddy! When can I come visit you? I want to go see all the Dinosaurs in the museum!" "First I have to get a house so I will have a place for you to stay at and then mummy and daddy have to figure out when you will have enough time off school so you can come for a visit." I then proceeded to show Louisa and James Henry how to run the Kindle and use all the functions on it. We did a test run on Skype with me at my laptop in the office and James Henry in the kitchen. When the tour of the Kindle was done James Henry said "I love this, daddy! Thank you for getting it for me!" and gave me a big hug and kiss. While James Henry was playing a game on it I told Louisa about the parental control functions, how to use them and wrote down the password I had entered to access the controls.

The hours passed quickly and it was shortly after 10am. "I have to change clothes and get ready to open the surgery. Morwenna will be here at 10:30 so I can tell her what will be happening." Louisa said "Yes, we have to be at school by 11am. Poor Morwenna! It will be hard for her to find a new job if the new GP does not keep her on." "I am going to write an excellent reference letter for her and I am going to tell Chris that I highly recommend the new GP keep her as practice manager." "Well, we all better be going. Time to turn off the Kindle and go to school, James." "OK, mummy!" I handed Louisa a small box that contained the charger and cables for the Kindle, gave her a hug and said "Thank you for coming and for all your help. It means a lot to me." "No, Thank _you_, Martin! You are a very wise man." I opened the door for them, hugged James Henry and kissed his cheek "I will see you later, OK? I love you!" he hugged and kissed me back and said "I love you too, daddy, and I will see you later on my Kindle!" They turned to go down the walkway and I closed the door. As I was about to go upstairs to change I heard Morwenna come in the front door. "Oh, sod it! I will just skip the suit for today." I thought to myself and started clearing the breakfast dishes.

"Mornin, Doc! Ohmigawd! I have never seen you wear jeans before! You have a nice bum!"

It was time to start dropping the bombs...


	18. Chapter 18-Dropping the Bomb

**_Chapter 18: Dropping the Bomb_**

"Good Morning, Morwenna and thank you for that assessment of my anatomy. Please help yourself to some coffee while I finish loading the dishwasher." Coffee made and dishes done I directed her to sit down and I sat across from her at the table. "Thank you for coming in early. I have something I need to tell you, Morwenna. I have resigned from my position as GP for Port Wenn effective November 1st. I will be moving to Houston, Texas where I will be the Head of Cardiovascular surgery at Methodist Hospital. The PCT will appoint another GP and I will _highly recommend_ that he or she keeps you on as practice manager; I will also write you a letter of recommendation and will do anything I can to assist you. I will be putting the surgery up for sale so the location may change if the new GP does not wish to purchase it, the PCT may also choose to move the location of the surgery to another town so you must be prepared for that. That decision will be entirely out of my hands but I will recommend that they keep a GP here. There will be much we have to do in the intervening time and I will make a list of those things. Over the years we have worked together I have discovered that you are a very smart, capable young woman who has become a great asset to me in my work here. I wish you all the best." Morwenna was crying, mascara was running like rivers down her cheeks. I got up, grabbed the box of tissues and set it next to her on the table. "Oh Doc, I am so happy for you but so frightened for me! I don't want to leave the village but if the new Doc doesn't keep me on or the PCT closes the surgery I will have to move. There are no jobs here where I can make as much money as I do here." "I understand but I have a feeling that everything will turn out for the best for you. You are a fighter and nothing keeps you down, your grandfather would be _proud_ of the person you have become. Now, I need to go change and you need to fix your mascara, it has run a bit." She looked at the tissues and said "I must look like a wreck!" We both got up and as I passed by to go upstairs she gave me a hug "Thanks for what you said to me, Doc! It means a lot coming from you!"

I quickly changed into a suit and tie, went downstairs to my office, grabbed the notice off my desk and posted it in the waiting room.

_**NOTICE:**_

_Dr. Martin C. Ellingham has resigned as General Practitioner for Port Wenn effective November 1__st__. An announcement of his replacement will be made when his position has been filled. If the position has not been filled by his departure date the Wadebridge surgery will handle all health care services for Port Wenn until his replacement is announced._

Morwenna came out of the loo looking much better but her eyes were still a bit puffy. "Ready for the onslaught, Doc? You know that it is going to get crazy in here once the village finds out." "Yes, I know. People with standing appointments come first unless there is a true emergency. Prioritize the walk-ins and try to filter out those who are only here to chat. It is going to be a long day, are you ready?" "As ready as I will ever be, Doc! Your first appointment is Mr. Penrose." Morwenna unlocked the door as I walked into my office. I closed the door, took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for what was going to be a difficult day.

The news spread like wildfire. The waiting room of the surgery became bedlam but Morwenna was doing a good job of weeding out the gossips and malingerers. About 1pm we closed the surgery for a half an hour to eat lunch; I made a sandwich and soup for both of us seeing as we only a short time to eat in. Shortly after 4pm while I was examining Boris (who, outside of a Russian, names their child Boris?) Chenoweth's throat Morwenna told me over the intercom there was a Mrs. Judy Ford on the phone for me, a realtor from Houston. I told Morwenna to put the call through. "Good Afternoon Dr. Ellingham, my name is Judy Ford. Don Kane asked me to assist you in finding a new home in Houston. I know you are very busy so I will be brief. Don gave me an overview of your tastes and I will send you via email a selection of homes that I think might be to your liking. From what Don has told me the one on Blue Bonnet Boulevard would be a _perfect_ fit for you. I will also enclose a link to our website so you can browse what else is on offer. Please email me to let me know when might be a good time for us to discuss your wants and needs in a home so I can personalize my search for you." "Thank you, I appreciate your efforts. Yes, I am very busy at the moment but I will look at your email at my earliest convenience and make arrangements to discuss the matter further." "That will be fine! Thank you, Dr. Ellingham and I look forward to taking to you soon." "As do I, Mrs. Ford. I must go now; I am in the middle of a consultation. Goodbye for now."

Finally, 5:30 came around and we closed the surgery for the day. After dinner I went into my office and read Judy's email. I clicked on the link for the house on Blue Bonnet Boulevard that she had recommended. It was _stunning_! Centrally located and an easy 1 ½ mile walk to the hospital through tree lined residential streets. Modern and unconventional exterior design, interesting yet functional interior layout. Landscaped for both beauty and privacy. Koi pond in the courtyard and a large pool/Jacuzzi combination with a waterfall in the back garden. James Henry would _love_ that! Three stories, 4 bedrooms, 5 ½ baths, large office/library, summer kitchen on the patio, 5000 square feet. There was even a billiard room! Many varieties of wood, stone, copper and steel were used in its construction, energy efficient. The current owners were willing to sell it with all of the furnishings (excluding a few personal pieces) included at an extra cost, too. I looked at all the pictures of and thought to myself "Well, that wasn't so hard. The place is perfect!" I fired off an email to Judy saying that I would like to purchase the house. Then I called Chris and we talked for about an hour. He invited me over for dinner next Sunday night after I drop James Henry off.

Turning off the lights as I went along I headed upstairs to bed.

I dreamed.

I dreamed of relaxing in the Jacuzzi while watching an older James Henry splashing and playing in the pool with two younger children in the warmth of an early summer's evening. In the distance I heard a woman's voice calling out that it was time for dinner.


	19. Chapter 19: Sorting Things Out

**_Chapter 19: Sorting Things Out_**

The month of October flew by.

The PCT found someone to take my place, a GP from Pinner named George Goldsmith. His wife died a few years ago and he wants to get out of greater London. They used to rent a holiday cottage near Polzeath when their children were small and he likes the area. He came down one weekend to see the surgery and said he would buy it as soon as he sold his home and would pay rent up until that time if needed. I am only taking books and personal items with me to Texas so I asked George if he wanted the furniture and other things I am not taking and he said yes. He also asked to meet my practice manager and he liked Morwenna, said she reminded him of his youngest daughter, so he will be keeping her on. I am glad for that. So is she. On my last day I plan on giving Morwenna £1,000 in appreciation for all she has done over the years.

I will be leaving November 2nd. The movers will come in the morning to pack everything up and I will leave from Exeter at 7pm. Louisa is going to give me a ride down to the airport. I told her she did not have to but she said it was Stephan's idea, he knows that we need to make this whole situation as positive an experience as we can for James Henry and to reassure him that all will be well and that we love him very much. The more I talk with Stephan the more I like him.

I asked Stephan and Louisa if they wanted my car. It is six months old and a hybrid. They might find that useful for Stephan to use to commute to and from his job in Wadebridge. They both said yes and thanked me profusely for such a gift. They are going to sell his house in Wadebridge and move into Louisa's home in Port Wenn until the time comes for them to move to Worcestershire-it is the larger of the two homes. After they move they are going to use it as a holiday home and spend their summers there.

I bought the house on Blue Bonnet Boulevard. Don went looked it over for me and said it was more beautiful in person than in the pictures Judy had provided and is in excellent condition. He took video of the tour he made of it to give me a more personal view of it. The house passed the structural inspection with flying colors. The realtor Judy works for arranged the financing for it and is handling all the title work-all I had to do is sign the paperwork, get it notarized and send it back to them. The house had been recently painted so that did not need doing. I am buying it furnished but will be replacing the mattresses with Vi-Springs. I ordered them and they will be delivered the day I take possession of the house. I also ordered some sheets and towels-that should get me through the first couple weeks until I determine what I need.

Chris held a farewell dinner for me at his home. We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning talking about our lives, our families and the changes coming for both him and me. The government is talking about revamping the rural health care schemes and he may be out of a job. I told him that I would do everything I could to help him out in any way possible. Personally, knowing the situation and how the government works I think it will go badly for him. Sad to say but true. I will have to do some research into the subject to see what might be available for him in the US if things do go bad. It may not be his most desired option but could very well turn into his _only_ option.

Robert and I spent one night talking on the phone. He will be in Houston in March for a conference and I invited him to stay with me and he accepted.

Louisa was right in her suggestions on how to handle this situation with James Henry. He seems excited, not sad or angry, about the changes coming in his life. Neither Louisa nor I have noticed any behavior changes that might signal that he is having a problem dealing with everything. He is studiously practicing what he will have to do during the wedding-he is going to be a ring bearer. James Henry loves his Kindle and we have worked on our Skype skills a couple of times a week even though we see each other just about every day. He has also been using it to learn about Texas and Houston and is taking pride in his knowledge on the subject. He was especially excited to inform me (in a very serious voice) that "Houston imports more Coffee than anywhere in the world so you will always have Coffee to drink, daddy!" My son knows me well...I showed him the video of my new house and he can't wait to come visit-though the thing I think he wants to visit the most is the pool, followed closely by the Koi pond at the moment. I told him that when he came over for the first time that he could pick out a bedroom for his very own and that would _always_ _be_ _his room_.

To my surprise many of the villagers have told me that they "appreciated the care I had given to them over the years", that "no matter the time of day or the weather I was always there for them", "knew that I was probably the best doctor they would ever see" and they would "truly miss me". To them I would always be '_our_ Doc Martin'. The giggling gaggle of teenaged harpies even said they would miss me and I have not heard one "Tosser!" out of them since the notice of my resignation went up on the board in the surgery. They all did inform me that I had a 'nice bum' when I wore a pair of jeans to walk to Louisa's to pick up James Henry. I guess it beats being called a Tosser...

Burt and the Crab and Lobster want to co-host a going away party for me on the Platt the last Saturday I would be in town. I did not want to go because that would be my last weekend with James Henry but he wants to go to the big party and Louisa, Morwenna and Pauline all ganged up on me and begged me to go so I guess I am going.


	20. Chapter 20-Party on the Platt

**_Chapter 20: Party on the Platt_**

The weather was fine and a bit warmer than usual on the day of the party. I had picked up James Henry the night before and all he did was talk about it. I guess I can suffer through it to make him happy.

After Breakfast we went for a walk along the cliff path. He is starting to be interested in birds and has been using his Kindle and his mother's laptop to study them. I had ordered a couple books about them for him including RSPB First Book of Birds and Collins Complete Guide to British Birds in which he was dutifully ticking off each bird as he saw it. I also found an excellent website called the Internet Bird Collection for him. It is very informative and has videos of the birds and audio files of bird calls. He reminds me so much of myself when I was a child-he gets obsessed about a subject then sets out on his own to learn all he can about it. I studied Butterflies when I was his age and can recall my excitement when I would see a new species. This summoned forth a painful flash of memory about my father which I quickly stuffed back into the chest of horrors that was my childhood. I did not want to think about that. I am _not_ like my father.

As we walked I told him that it was only 'natural' that he was interested in birds because they are the true descendants of the Dinosaurs. He asked how that could be and I did my best to explain it to him and told him that we would do some research into the subject after the party if he wanted to. He asked me what kinds of birds there were in Texas and I said I did not know but when he came there for a visit we would go and learn about them together. He got excited about that prospect.

The party was going to be held from noon until 4pm. It was already past 11am so we headed back to the surgery. We put his books away and got ready to go. I was going to change into a suit but James Henry stopped me "Daddy, don't wear a suit. You look nicer the way you are." I acceded to his wishes; silently hoping that no one told me I had a 'nice bum' in his presence.

We walked down to the Platt hand in hand, talking about birds and Dinosaurs along the way. We arrived to discover that there was a large crowd of people there and the area had been decorated with streamers, banners and a big sign that said "Bon Voyage and Best Wishes, Doc Martin!" When they saw us coming they all started to applaud. I must admit I was truly touched by this.

Many people who had lived here came back for the party. Roger and Maureen Fenn and their children came from Padstow, Joy and Peter Cronk from Penzance to name just a few. Chris and his family drove up from Truro. There was one surprise guest waiting there for me, too. My Aunt Ruth.

The party started with our arrival and people were talking, laughing with much eating and drinking. Many came up to me and congratulated me and wished me well. James Henry asked if he could go play with the other children and told him he could. I could see Louisa helping serve up food and cake, she saw me looking at her and waved. After a while I excused myself from the crowd and walked toward Ruth. "Hello, Martin." she said dryly. I replied "Hello, Aunt Ruth." "Well, I must say I did not think you still had it in you, Martin. It is about time you got back to doing some serious medicine and you are _certainly_ going to be doing that with your new job. Well done!" "Thank you, Aunt Ruth. Despite all that has happened between us I am glad you are here. I have missed you. I also accept your apology." "You know we Ellingham's are an emotionally stunted and cold lot, it is in our DNA. _You_ are a mutation. In the little time I have observed you at this party I would say you have changed a lot in the last five years. For the better, I think. If I were to make a professional assessment I would say that you have finally thrown off the psychological and emotional baggage that you have been burdened with since the day you were born and finally found wisdom and the beginnings of inner peace. It is still early days but I think you will succeed. You are too stubborn not to. How is your boy handling the situation?" "He is doing better than we had expected. We have all been working hard to make this into a positive experience for him. I do suspect that once the reality of everything sinks in he might become upset for a while but all we can do is love him, support him and hope." "You are definitely _not_ your father, Martin." I asked her "Are you staying here tonight?" "No. I came down last night and stayed with Al and Pauline out at the farm-it was the one place I could stay at without you knowing. I am leaving on the train tonight, I have to testify in a court case Monday morning and have to prepare."

Pauline wandered by as Ruth and I were observing and commenting on the festivities. "I want to thank you, Doc! When I first started working for you I thought you were Tosser, but I discovered that underneath it all you have a kind and caring heart. You and many others here might not think so but I know better. You yelled at us because you cared. If it was not for you I would probably be drinking all the time and gambling away my dole money. You picked me up when I was at the bottom, helped me turn my life around and set me on the path to where I am now-married to a good man, a good job as a nurse and our wonderful little boy. I would not have that if it were not for you. I wish for you all the best in your new life, Doc, you deserve it. It is going to be really weird not having you around to take care of all of us. I will miss you!" She stood on her toes and planted a soft kiss on my cheek, tears forming in her eyes. "I did nothing, Pauline. You did it all yourself."

A squeal emanated from the loudspeakers. It was caused by Burt as he tried to take the microphone off its stand. Pauline looked at me mischievously and said "Uh Oh! You better run, Doc! Here comes the speech!" I groaned and Ruth had that crooked smile on her face that she always had when she was enjoying a spot of vicarious entertainment. "Ladies and Gentleman, may I have your attention please. We all know why we are here; it is bid farewell to our Doc Martin. We also know our Doc well enough to know that a long speech would make him pretty uncomfortable. So I ask you all to raise your glasses in a toast..." the people assembled raised their glasses and looked at me "To Our Doc Martin! Many of us owe our lives to you and may your life be blessed!" The crowd said in unison "To Our Doc Martin!' and drank the toast then cheered.

I was stunned.

People crowded around and wished me well. Roger Fenn came up and we talked for a while. After about an hour the crowd started to break up. Al came by to get Pauline and Ruth. Al said "We would like to invite you to dinner Monday night. We know you are packing up and have much to do but it would be our honor to have you over for dinner." "I am sorry but I really can't. I will have appointments at the surgery all day with the new GP and then I have to pack. The movers will be arriving early in the morning Tuesday. After they leave I have to sign off on everything with George and I will be leaving in the afternoon for Exeter to catch my flight." "Aw, that is too bad! Well, I guess we will be seeing you, Doc! Take care of yourself and come back and visit us!" "I will." I replied. I gave Aunt Ruth the 'Ellingham hug' and said "Goodbye, Aunt Ruth! I will call you when I am settled in Houston." "Goodbye, Martin! I look forward to your call." They turned and headed for their car.

I was about to start looking for James Henry when he came running up-soaking wet and muddy. "What on earth happened to you?" I asked as I tried to wipe the mud off of his face. "We were looking in the pools for crabs and I slipped and fell into the water. I am sorry, Daddy!" he said sheepishly. I wrapped my coat around him, hugged him and said "It's OK, things like that sometimes happen. Let's get you home and into a nice warm bath." I stood up and he took my hand "Let's go home, Daddy."


	21. Chapter 21-The End of the Beginning

_**Chapter 21: The End of the Beginning**_

Monday actually went quite smoothly. I let George handle the appointments while I observed. After the first four I left him to it, by then it was obvious that he was very competent and the villagers appreciated his 'bedside manner'. They will be in good hands. Morwenna had done an excellent job inventorying all the surgery equipment and supplies so I did not have to worry about that.

I left George and Morwenna to run the surgery while I continued packing up the items I would be taking with me, doing laundry and cleaning the living areas. The movers would be repacking it all for international shipment, I was basically separating out the things that were going from the things that weren't. I also spent some time online shopping for my new home. I ordered a new espresso machine, pots and pans, knives, kitchen utensils, various household items, TV, sound systems, etc. The major appliances were already in place so I didn't have to worry about those.

After the surgery closed for the day George and I went to dinner- we went over the books, accounts and inventory while we ate and sat and talked for a bit. Afterwards I went home and he went down to the Crab and Lobster where he was staying until I left. It felt strange knowing that it would be the last night I spent there as my home. As I lay in my bed waiting for sleep to come I thought to myself that after tomorrow I would still be a British citizen, but I would be a British expat. One day, I would probably end up applying for American citizenship and then I would be a dual citizen. After tomorrow Britain would be a place I would be visiting, not living in-it would no longer be 'home'. "Always in motion is the future" the voice had said to me and after tomorrow it would be a totally blank slate for me to write my future on. Winston Churchill had said in a speech after the Battle of El Alamein; "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." I thought about Sir Winston's words as I drifted off into sleep.

I dreamed.

I dreamed that I was going on a holiday; at least it felt that way. I was opening a wall safe to get my passports. A red one, a blue one and a black one with silver leaves on the cover.


	22. Chapter 22-Leaving on a Jet Plane

**_Chapter 22: Leaving on a Jet Plane_**

I was up with the dawn. It was going to be a very long day and it would end on a different continent. I showered, shaved and brushed my teeth then cleaned the bathroom up. The night before I had picked out the clothing I was going to wear today and packed the rest. I had selected my blue pinstripe suit, light blue shirt, the blue tie James Henry had given me for Father's day and the Schlumberger gold and blue cufflinks. I stripped the sheets and pillowcases off the bed, took them downstairs and put them in the hamper and packed my pajamas and shaving kit.

George and I were going to have breakfast together at the Crab so I started walking over there. On the way those I met greeted me and wished me good luck and farewell. The giggling gaggle of teenaged harpies came up to me and all hugged me at once and said (without malice) they would miss me. During breakfast George asked me if all the people here were so resistant to medical advice. I replied that very few will ever listen to him or follow his advice, most will get angry when he would suggest something to them and then will blame him when they come down with whatever it was he warned them about. I thought to myself 'so much for the charms of a good bedside manner'. It was around half eight and time for George to prepare to open the surgery, I paid the bill and we walked out together, shook hands and went our separate ways.

The movers weren't due until 10am so I wandered over to the school to see James Henry before his day started. He was talking to some of his friends near Louisa. When he saw me he ran to me to give me a hug "Daddy! I am so glad you came to see me before school! I hugged him, tousled his hair and said "I love you and am glad I got to see you before your day started." "Mummy said that I only have to go to school for half the day because we are going to Exeter to take you to the airplane." "Yes, that is right! If we have time I will see if you and mummy can go inside the airplane and see what it looks like." "YAY! I have never been in an airplane before!" Louisa walked up; I noticed that she was wearing that blue skirt with the fish on it that she wore long ago on the day she fainted. "Good Morning, Louisa!" "Good Morning, Martin!" James, it is time for you to go in." I gave James Henry a big hug and kiss and said "You best be going, son. I will see you very soon." He hugged and kissed me back and said "OK, daddy! See you soon!" He ran off to join his classmates and Louisa and I watched him as he did. I turned to Louisa and said "I remember that skirt, you wore it the day you fainted while reading the children a story." "I am glad you remember it. Actually I did not think about its significance until I was on my way to school" I was puzzled and asked "Significance?" Louisa smiled and said "I wore it the day that I had decided that you were not picking up on the subtle hints I had been giving you to let you know that I really liked you and it was time for more drastic measures. I was reading the children a fairy tale about a beautiful princess and her brave prince. I saw you walking by and I thought to myself 'I wonder if he will come rescue me if I am in distress just like the handsome, brave prince he is' and feigned fainting. Of course, you did! I saw you leap over the bench to get to me and thought 'Ah, my handsome prince has come'. Since that day we have traveled a long and winding road-both together and apart." I looked into her eyes and said. "Yes…yes we have. Through the fires of passion and anger and the water of tears of joy and sorrow. We have the earth of James Henry that will always bind us together, no matter where we are, for the rest of our lives. I am glad you have finally found _your_ handsome and brave prince in Stephan, Louisa. You are the one person in the world that I wish the fairy tale ending of 'and they lived happily ever after' to. I appreciate all you have done for me and I thank you every day for the beautiful gift of our son." Louisa started crying and hugged me "Oh, Martin! You beautiful, sweet, wonderful, wise man!" I hugged her and rocked her "Shhhhhh…..don't cry…..don't cry. Everything will be all right…" I held her with one arm and pulled my handkerchief out of my pocket with the other. I gently daubed the tears from her eyes and face, folded the handkerchief over and brought it up to her nose and said gently "Blow…" She giggled through her tears and blew, then took the handkerchief and started wiping her eyes. "Oh, god! I am late for my class and I must look a fright! I better go. See you at one!" She kissed me gently on the cheek and ran to the door and waved as she went in.

After she disappeared from my view I composed myself and started walking towards the surgery. As I was walking up the steps I could see a moving van coming up the street. I went in and said good morning to Morwenna then went to the living room where my belongings were piled up neatly. I saw the golden Buddha that Edith gave me sitting in one of the boxes. I picked it up and thought about it for a moment. "Do I really want to take this? Yes, I have had it a very long time but it will always remind me of Edith and if there is one person I will be glad to leave behind here it is _her. _Bony arsed witch_..._" I know Robert was right, she would come after me. If I still have it she will probably think that I keep it because I still loved her in some way." I decided that I have many Buddha statues; this is one that can stay here. I put it on the shelf with a note to George saying that it was a housewarming gift. The movers were thorough, efficient and packed the fragile items very well. They finished loading up the van shortly before noon, I signed the papers and they were off. George and Morwenna were closing up the surgery just as the movers left and George said "Would you like to join us for lunch?" I replied "Yes, that would be good."

They went about making soup and sandwiches while I set the table. I asked them if they wanted an espresso and they did so I made the last three espressos I would make out of my trusty machine. While we ate Morwenna and I told George some interesting stories of things that had happened in the surgery. It was getting near one and I had to get ready to go-Louisa and James Henry would be arriving soon to take me to Exeter. A knock at the kitchen door announced their arrival. I opened the door and picked up James Henry and gave him a kiss and Louisa said "Hello, George! Hello, Morwenna! Are you ready to go, Martin? I set James Henry down and said "Yes, I just need to get my bags into the car and we can be on our way." George and Morwenna got up from the table and George said "We will help you." George took the car keys and a bag and Morwenna grabbed my other bag and my laptop case and took them and loaded them in the boot of the car. I looked around to make sure nothing was left behind except the Buddha. There wasn't. I looked at Louisa and James Henry and said "Shall we go?" and Louisa nodded. We went out the door and I closed it behind me and thought "Goodbye, surgery. We have had many interesting years and you will have many more. Farewell." I followed Louisa and James Henry to the car, George and Morwenna were standing next to it. I strapped James Henry in and shut his door; Louisa sat down in the passenger seat and gave him his Kindle to play with during the journey to Exeter. I turned to George and shook his hand "It was nice meeting you George! I know the village will be in good hands with you. Good Luck!" He replied "It was a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to reading about what new innovations and procedures you come up with in the future, Martin!" I turned to Morwenna, handed her an envelope and said "Thank You for all your hard work over the years! You are a smart and very capable woman and I know that your will be a great help to George. I wish you all the best that life can offer. Goodbye, Morwenna!" She hugged me, tears in her eyes and said "Goodbye, Doc! I am going to miss you! Don't forget about us!" I opened the car door and sat down when I heard a shriek "A thousand pounds! Oh, Doc, Thank You!" She kissed me on the cheek. "You're more than welcome!" I said as I started the car. "We have to go now. Farewell!"

The drive to Exeter was uneventful. Louisa and I talked about old times and discussed arrangements for me to come back during spring half term to take James Henry to Houston. He sat in the back and played games on the Kindle in between looking out the windows and remarking about what interesting things and animals were passing by. I pulled the car into the parking lot at Exeter Corporate Aviation and noticed that the jet was already here on the tarmac. I helped James Henry out of the car while Louisa got out. I grabbed my bags out of the boot and followed them into the terminal. The receptionist said "Good Afternoon, Dr. Ellingham! It is a pleasure to see you again. Your jet is here and ready to go. I will inform the flight crew and the customs agent of your arrival." "Thank you!" I replied and escorted Louisa and James Henry into the waiting area. My son ran to the window and exclaimed "Is that the plane you are going to ride on? Wow, it looks really neat! Can we go see it?" "I have to ask if you can, son." As I was saying that I saw Ashley and Nicholas walking up with the customs agent. I turned to them and said "Good Afternoon!" "Good Afternoon, Dr. Ellingham! The preflight check has already been run and we are able to leave on your command. Nicholas will take your luggage aboard after the customs formalities are done." I followed the customs agent and he processed my paperwork. That done I went back to Louisa and James Henry-Ashley was standing there with them and they were laughing. Ashley smiled and said "Dr. Ellingham, you son informs me that he would like to take a tour of the aircraft." Louisa laughed and said "That is the understatement of the year!" I smiled and said "Yes, he would love to if it is permitted." Ashley bent down to talk to James Henry and said "If you and your parents will be so kind as to follow me I think we can take a tour of the plane." "YAY! Let's go!" and we followed her to the jet and boarded it. Louisa was gobsmacked "Oh, my god, Martin! This is gorgeous!" Ashley took James Henry up to the flight deck where his tour would start while Louisa and I sat down. She grew pensive and said "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, Martin. What you said to me at the school touched my heart and I have thought about it all day. A long time ago, in a soon to be for you, faraway land I once thought you were my prince and you thought I was your princess. But it was not meant to be. We tried very hard but, as we learned, sometimes love is not enough. You may not be my prince but you still are my knight in shining armor and _always_ will be. What you said earlier is true-James Henry is the earth that will bind us, no matter where we are, for the rest of our lives. I thank _you_ for the beautiful gift that is our son.

"One of the things you told me was that Don said you were like a Phoenix rising from the ashes of its former life and that is the truth. You are an honorable man with a kind heart and a sensitive soul who has fought witches, demons and dragons that would have slain most mortals. I know that you _will_ find happiness and love. If you keep your heart and mind open one day, _when you least expect it_, your soul mate _will_ appear. When that day comes, and it _will_, no one will be more pleased than me." I looked into her eyes and gently held her hand "There will always be a part of me that is standing in front of the surgery looking across the harbor towards a little white schoolhouse, hoping for a glimpse of my fairy tale princess in a blue skirt with fish on it." She squeezed my hand and said "And there will always be a part of me that is standing by the wall of the play yard looking across the harbor towards a little stone building, hoping for a glimpse of my fairy tale prince in a blue suit and tie." We sat and held each other's hand and thought of the fairy tale that was never meant to be...

'Mummy! Daddy! This has been the best day ever! Captain Tim let me sit in the pilot's seat and he and Captain Jeff showed me everything! Then Ashley and Nicholas showed me all sorts of really cool stuff! I want to be a pilot when I grow up!" Louisa and I let go of each other's hands and turned our attention to our 'earth' and smiled. "James, daddy has to leave soon and we must be on our way home. I am going to go see the plane and let you and daddy talk for a while, OK?" "OK, mummy!" Louisa went forward and I picked up James Henry and cradled him. I looked into his eyes and said "Well, my son, it soon will be time for me to go. I want you to always remember that I love you and that will _never_ change! I am going to miss you so much! Always remember I am always with you no matter where I am or what I am doing. I will be coming back in a couple of months to take you on a trip to my new home and we will go see the Dinosaurs, learn about the birds, swim in the pool and maybe go to the Rodeo if you want. The most important thing of all is that we will be together! Be a good boy for mummy and Stephan and be kind to your new brothers and sisters. I know it might be hard at times but still try for mummy. I will talk to you tomorrow with Skype and we can talk about everything. I love you!" He looked at me and started to cry so I kissed him and rocked him. "Daddy, how can I be so happy and sad at the same time?" "When two people who love each other are going to be away from each other for a while you feel like that. It hurts that you won't be able to see them each day and you are happy because you know they are with friends and doing what they were meant to do. As long as you love one another you will never truly be parted." "I love you, daddy and I will miss you! "I love you, my son!" We sat silently and cuddled while Louisa had her 'tour'-our eyes saying much more than mere words can say.

Louisa came back from her tour and stood there watching us for a few moments then took out her phone and snapped a few pictures. Wiping back tears she said with a shaky voice "It is time for us to go, James." "I sat him up in my lap and straightened his clothes "OK mummy! Goodbye, daddy! I love you and that will never change! Be happy and I will talk to your tomorrow on Skype. I can't wait until I can come see you!" "I love you, James Henry, and I will talk to you tomorrow. I will come in a couple of months to take you on a big airplane to Texas." I set him down on the floor and gave Louisa a hug and a kiss on the cheek "Be well and see you in a couple of months." Goodbye for now, Martin!" I bent down to give James Henry one last hug "I love you and talk to you tomorrow!" "I Love You, daddy!" I could tell that Louisa was about to cry and she really didn't want to so she ushered James Henry down the steps to the tarmac and into the terminal. Nicholas and Ashley prepared the plane for departure while I looked out of the window at them and waved. The pilot started the engines and let them warm up for a bit and then we started taxiing down the ramp to the runway. We stopped, the engines revved up and we started to roll. I felt the wheels softly lose contact with the ground and we were on our way.

I had left my old world and was on my way to my new world.

How can you be so happy and sad at the same time?


	23. Chapter 23-Into the West

**_Chapter 23: Into the West_**

We reached cruising altitude and were following the sun into the west. Nicholas asked me if I would like a 'taste of the Talisker" and I replied that I did. I watched Devon and Cornwall pass by in the fading light as I sipped my scotch and pondered my son's question "How _can_ I be so happy and sad at the same time?" It is an interesting mix of emotions for me. There is sadness and regret in leaving the familiar and the one I love behind, an excitement and happiness in creating a new life for myself in a new world where all things are possible. James Henry is going through much the same process but in a different way. I am going to take it as a good sign that he said that he was both happy and sad, if he had been just sad and cried more than he did then I would be worried.

My thoughts started to drift to the interesting (and very _real_ feeling) dream I had the other night. I have had prescient dreams before and this felt like one of those. The three passports. I 'knew' in the dream that they were all mine-the red one was my British passport, the blue one was an American one but which one was the black one with the silver leaves? I could understand the American one being there considering what I was thinking about before I went to sleep but what was the black one? I remember seeing words on the cover of it in a language that I did not know-Uruwhenua Aotearoa. I hadn't had the time to look into this since I had the dream but I have some time now. I booted up my laptop and typed the words I remembered into the box on the browser. Aotearoa is Māori for New Zealand. I then looked for pictures of a New Zealand passport and found they matched the one in the dream. How the _hell_ did I end up with a New Zealand passport? The place where the dream occurred was in the house I just purchased in Houston, I recognized it from the pictures and videos. Some of the furniture was different but it was the same house. I do remember walking by a beautiful Tiffany style floor lamp with a shade of red Maple leaves. Another thing I remembered is that there were some works of Ukiyo-e on the wall and I had a fleeting feeling that they were somehow significant. I was aware of Ukiyo-e but had never delved into collecting this kind of artwork before. Maybe there is some significance in what the word Ukiyo-e means, 'Images of the Floating World'. I remembered two of them in particular so I looked on the internet to see if I could find out if it existed and what they were called. I found them-they were both by an artist named Hasui and one is called 'Moon at Umagome' and the other is 'Yakuo Temple, Mito'. From what I read the Yakuo Temple one is exceptionally rare. It was done during World War II when there was a shortage of paper and there was only one run of this particular print. So I was living in Houston, apparently had started to collect Ukiyo-e and had a New Zealand passport. Strange...

A hand gently tapped my shoulder and Ashley said "Dinner will be served shorty." I thanked her and went to wash up while they set the table. I sat down and was served a delicious meal of Pan-Seared Tuna with Avocado, Soy, Ginger, and Lime served over mixed greens that included Avocado and Strawberries dressed in a wasabi dressing accompanied by a Rice and grain mixture that had Garlic, Cilantro, and Lime in it. A very interesting combination of flavors and textures that I would have never thought of mixing together but it all worked. I must ask the chef for the recipes.

After dinner I went forward to meet the chef and compliment him on the fine dinner. His name was Douglas and we talked for a bit. He is a native Texan and when he isn't working loves to go fishing and hunting. I asked him for the recipes and he said he would write them down for me. Then I went back to my chair and my thoughts. The food and the scotch were working their magic because I was starting to get sleepy. It had been a long day. I bade Ashley and Nicholas good night and requested that they wake me two hours before landing then went to the stateroom and to bed.

I dreamed.

I dreamed I was under water. It was warm. The sun shone brightly overhead through the turquoise water. I felt content and at peace. I had a diving mask on my face and a mouthpiece in my mouth. Around me were small coral reefs and white sand with a rainbow of brightly colored small fish swimming about. It looked like I was swimming in an aquarium-it was _so_ _perfect_. Everything was perfect. In the corner of my eye I caught a flash of something big and grey. Instinctually my mind shrieked 'Shark!' and I was startled but I saw it was not a Shark but something else. It was a woman. She was clad in a grey skinsuit, black diving mask, black swim fins, grey diving tanks on her back and a red snorkel. She saw me and started swimming towards me and I felt _very_ happy that she was. She had shortish brown and silver hair, an athletic, well-proportioned body with muscular arms and legs. I could not really see her face with the mask and breathing apparatus on but could tell that it was rather round. She swam so close to me that all I could see were her eyes-dynamic, intelligent eyes in a deep shade of green that reminded me of a pine forest. She ran her hand softly down my chest, tapped her watch then gave me a 'thumbs up' sign and started to surface. My eyes followed her and they were shortly followed by the rest of my body. I thought to myself (rather naughtily) in the dream 'That suit _certainly_ doesn't leave much to the imagination!' I surfaced next to her and saw a sailboat nearby. It was a beautiful catamaran and large-must have been 50 feet or more. Behind it was a small island with palm trees and a white sand beach; I could faintly smell frangipani on the breeze. There wasn't anybody on the island that I could see. A white bird with a long, thin red tail feather flew by. On the transom of the boat it said 'Isilme'. I turned towards the woman as she said in an American voice 'Race you to the boat!'...

"Good Evening, sir!" The voice of Ashley said through the door as she knocked. I replied groggily "I am awake." "We are about two hours from landing. We will be landing at approximately 8:15pm. The weather in Houston at that time will be clear with light and variable winds, a temperature of 12°C and humidity of 55%." "I replied "Thank you, Ashley."

**_DAMMIT!_** I thought to myself. I was _really_ enjoying that dream and wanted to see her face.

I threw back the covers and went into the bathroom. As I showered I thought about that dream and the other one before it. I rarely have dreams that are continuations of a theme so to speak. In fact the last time I had something like this happen was right before James Henry was born. I dreamt that his life was in danger somehow but I didn't see or know what from. I was always in my car driving out of Port Wenn and was frantic with worry. Those were _very unsettling_ dreams...

I finished my hygiene routine and dressed in a pair of jeans and a lightweight banded collar flannel shirt. I grabbed a jacket out of my bag and packed the rest of my stuff up. I was beginning to enjoy wearing casual clothing now that I had found a brand of jeans that were actually comfortable and fit me well. The aroma of coffee wafted through the cabin as I went back to my chair. It smelled good! Nicholas walked up to me and said "Would you like something to drink or eat, sir?" "I will be dining with my friend after I arrive but that coffee smells fine. I will take a cup if there is some available." "We just made some for the pilots, I will bring you a cup."

Settling back into my chair I turned the laptop on and sipped my coffee. I checked for messages. There was one from Louisa and another from Don. The one from Louisa was short. She said that they arrived back home safely. James Henry happily babbled away during the drive back about the airplane and going to Texas to see me and he was still babbling away about it when she put him to bed. She was surprised that he didn't get a bit grumpy and cross during long car journey back home. Usually he does in situations like that-the excitement of going on a trip is gone and he wants to get home _now_. Don's message was that he would be at the airport to pick me up and we would probably stop for dinner on the way home if I was hungry. That sorted I went back to thinking about the dream I had. It was _very_ pleasant dream and unlike any that I had before. It was so vivid and it felt so real. Who was the woman and what was she to me? I do not think she was a tour guide or diving instructor because of the way she touched me, the way I felt as she did and watching her surface. I felt that despite the fact that the suit didn't leave much to the imagination I did not need imagination to know what she looked like out of it. And when did I learn to scuba dive? I have never done that in my life and never really had any inclination to want to, either.

I felt the plane starting to slow and descend. I prepared for landing by packing up my laptop. Nicholas came and retrieved my now empty cup as he and Ashley prepared the plane to land. I felt the wheels gently embrace the earth again, we taxied up to the terminal and stopped. Nicholas opened the door then went to get my luggage. I walked forward to say goodbye to the pilots and thanked them for the smooth flights and for giving my son the royal treatment. Jeff said "It was our pleasure! We both have children and understand. Your son is a very intelligent boy, he seemed genuinely interested in how the plane worked and grasped concepts easily. By the way, sir. I know how hard it can be to be gone for long periods of time, be divorced and have children. I was in the Air Force for years and sometimes it would be a year in between the times that I got to see them. Kids are resilient and as long as they know that you love them and miss them they do alright." I replied "Thank you for telling me that, it is much appreciated." I stopped and thanked Douglas for the fine meals he made for me and for our chat. He handed me the recipes and said "It was my pleasure. Enjoy those!" Finally I went to the door where Ashley was waiting for me to deplane "It has been a pleasure flying with you and I know we will be seeing you again!" I thanked her for everything and wished her a good evening. Nicholas was waiting at the bottom of the steps for me with my luggage. We headed for the terminal and I could see Don standing at the window near the door.

As we walked through the door Don strode over to us, shook my hand and said "Welcome home, Martin!"


	24. Chapter 24-A New Year, A New Life

**_Chapter 24: A New Year, A New Life_**

The days since I left Britain have run together like one big blur. I have been so busy! It is getting better now that I am getting used to everything and settling into a routine. The days can be very long and there have been many where I have spent over 12 hours at the hospital and there have been a few where I have been there for over 18 hours when performing or assisting with an exceptionally difficult procedure. Along with performing, assisting or observing various surgical procedures, doing consultations, etc. I also have a department to run. God, I had forgotten how much paperwork is involved with that! Thankfully I have Justine, my administrative assistant. I am the fourth Head of CV she has worked for and, as she told me, "I don't put up with any crap out of anybody, including _you_! I don't give a _damn_ if you are my boss..." I really like her though she does 'mother hen' me at times. She keeps the department running like a well-oiled machine and keeps my paperwork to a minimum though I still have to deal with more of it then I would like. Claire assists me by monitoring the residents and interns in the department and has become a great asset to me. The rest of the staff here is very professional and very friendly. I am rather surprised that I have not yet felt the need to go into a 'patented Martin Ellingham nuclear rant' about something or someone. I made a comment to Don over lunch one day about that and he said "Your reputation precedes you wherever you go, Martin! They have _heard_ the rumors and they do _not_ want to be the target of your wrath."

Don arranged it for me to be fast tracked through an M.B.E. over at Rice so I spend one day a week over there taking courses, I will probably continue and get a PhD. The more that I am learning about these technologies the more I think my ideas will work. I find that I am having little problem in learning the concepts involved, my instructors have all told me I seem to have a natural talent for it.

I have rigorously kept my Skype schedule with James Henry though there have been one or two times that I have been tied up in surgery so would have missed it. On those occasions Claire, Don or one of my other friends who are free at that time will call him on Skype and sit in the observation gallery to show him that 'daddy is busy saving someone's life and can't be in front of the camera right now' and I say hello to him and that I will talk to him tomorrow via the intercom. I have been told that the scrub nurses think that it is 'sweet' that I care so much about my son. He knows it is me because of my voice and the scrub hat I wear in the design he picked out-small golden dragons and red flames. He really likes talking to Claire because she will show him glimpses of the operating theatre (if it is not too gory or there are complications) by pointing the camera through the glass and provides running commentary to it like a sports announcer. In fact Skype is proving to be a great boon-I actually talk to him and see him _more_ now than I did over the last year I was in Port Wenn when Louisa spent most of her time with Stephan in Wadebridge and commuted. I talk to him during my lunch break which is after dinner and right before bedtime for him. We talk about _everything_ and I have sent him videos and pictures of the things I do at the hospital and of places I have visited and things I have done. He sent me video of the school play he was in, Christmas at Stephan's parents' house and the video of him being a ring bearer at Louisa's wedding. He also sends me a ton of photos of anything and everything that interests him and we talk about those. He seems to be adjusting to everything well and his life has become busier now that he is truly a member of a blended family. Louisa has written me a few times about him to let me know how he is doing, with children it is hard to tell by just talking to them. She says that he is adjusting well to his new living arrangements and talking to me via Skype is a great help. He really likes it when Claire shows him what I am doing on those times I can't be in front of the camera and, thanks to that, he no longer wants to be a pilot when he grows up-he now wants to be a surgeon. He isn't too disturbed when things like that happen, he said to Louisa 'it is like when daddy had to leave to go help someone who was sick out on the moor'. About the only problem that has arisen is that he occasionally tells Louisa that he wishes he could hug his daddy when he talks to me because 'daddy seems so tired'. She also told me that he has a calendar with a 'countdown' to the time that he will be coming here, as the days pass his excitement grows.

I thought that working here would be like my time in London. The hours I spend working are about the only thing that is the same. _Everything else is different_. For the first time in my life I can actually say that I do_ have_ a life. It all started when my belongings arrived from Britain. The initial move into the house was no big deal, all I had to do was unpack my bags, unload the boxes of the items I had ordered and put them away, make the bed, go grocery shopping and do laundry. I had a company install all the electronics so all I had to do was to be there to tell them where I wanted things and they did the rest.

The morning the movers were supposed to show up with my stuff from Britain the doorbell rang as I was putting the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. I thought the movers were early, it didn't turn out that way. It was Don, Foghorn and Chandra, Claire and her boyfriend Jerry (a geophysicist with an oil company), Ryan and Matsuko, Ivan and his partner Jonathan (one of the directors of the local opera company) and Karl and his wife Pam (a TV reporter). They had all come to give me a hand in unpacking my stuff. I didn't ask them to-they just showed up. I gave them a tour of my home; they all said they loved it. When the tour was done we sat, drank coffee and talked for a while waiting for the movers-interesting conversations on a variety of subjects. During those conversations I was invited to attend an upcoming performance of "La Boheme" as Ivan and Jonathan's guest. Foghorn invited me to attend an American Football game with everyone the next Sunday, apparently they have a 'skybox' and they 'tailgate' before the game. Tailgating was described to me as being something like a big picnic before the game; people bring barbecues (some of them are huge!) and have lunch, play games or walk around talking to people. I wasn't so sure about this because I am not really into sports but Don said, "Just come along, you never know, you might actually enjoy it!" I did go along just to be polite and for the experience. I did find that I actually enjoyed myself, not so much for the sporting event itself but for the tailgating and the conversation. It is very different than sporting events in Europe-no hooligans, very few drunks, lots of children attending with their parents and even the fans of the opposing team were rather friendly. I generally hate being in large crowds but being in the skybox did much to ease that feeling-we were 'part of the crowd' but not part of it. I think James Henry would enjoy this and will take him during fall half term if time allows.

When the movers arrived we all made quick work of the unpacking and placing of my items. Matsuko and Chandra were quite impressed by my Buddha and Asian medicine box collection and we had a long conversation about the differences between Asian traditional medical practices and western ones and the benefits and detriments of both. Karl remarked that I had many models of sailboats and asked if I sailed, I told him that I hadn't since college but I did enjoy it when I did. He has a sailboat down at the Houston Yacht Club and invited me (and James Henry when he is here) to go sailing with his family when summer came. He and his wife have twin girls about James Henry's age. During that conversation I had a fleeting glimpse of that dream I had of the woman and the catamaran which I quickly stuffed back into the special 'Box of Dreams of the Woman' that I have constructed in my mind. I didn't need to be distracted by _that!_

I was invited to attend Thanksgiving dinner at Claire and Jerry's home. They have a somewhat nontraditional one for some of the 'orphans'-people who do not have family nearby to go have Thanksgiving with or those who have to work on that day. I did attend that and met a man named Walid Barzani who, according to Claire, is the best occupational therapist in the hospital. I talked with him for a while, he is a Kurdish refugee from Iraq. He is only one of his family who managed to escape being gassed by Saddam Hussein in the Halabja massacre. He was working in a hospital in Kirkuk at the time-his wife, children and his extended family all died in the gassing. It took him a very long time to get out of Iraq-he spent a couple years in refugee camps or in hiding, dodged two wars and finally got out when the Americans invaded after 9/11.

Christmas and New Years I volunteered to work as I always had when I worked in London. That way the people who had families could spend those holidays with them instead of working. I didn't mind. I got a lot of paperwork done when I wasn't helping out down in the ER or performing surgeries on those who needed them. I talked to James Henry via Skype and he really liked the gifts I had sent him, especially the new camera. I thanked him for his gifts to me, a book on the Birds of North America and a new tie. He said he was 'sad that I was not here and didn't have anyone to spend Christmas with' and started to cry a bit. I told him that I wished I could be there with him but that I was not alone. I was with friends and we were all helping people who were sick or got hurt and I would be having Christmas with my friends later on.

The only troubling thing in my life at the moment are the dreams and they are more puzzling than troubling. I have one about her about once every two weeks and all of them have been quite pleasant but every time I think I am going to finally see her face _something_ wakes me up and I am getting _really_ frustrated by that. The one I had last night was especially puzzling. It was like I was seeing snippets of the world through her eyes. I knew it was her because of the voice and her hands. She was in a place where there was nothing but snow, ice and mountains-there were no trees on the mountains. I had brief glimpses of her talking to a man about places called 'Angus' and 'Takahe'. I heard her say that she was not going to be there for the entire summer but was just there doing 'some contract work' and would be heading back to 'the green planet' soon. The next snippet I saw was of an unreal place-a totally flat, white 'land' and blue sky.

One night about a month ago I had Don over for dinner and afterwards we sat in front of the fire talking about various subjects and I brought up the dreams I had been having. I described some of them (leaving the naughtier bits out) and asked him what he thought. He said "I don't think you are going crazy and I don't know what it is exactly that these dreams might mean, if they mean anything at all, outside of that you have been divorced for a long time and have not had any 'romantic' relationships with anyone since that time. The consistency and continuity of them is interesting, though. So are the situations you find yourself in-most of them are ones that I would not expect you participating in knowing your nature. It seems that in most of them she tells you to 'not be afraid' or have 'no fear' in one form or another and she seems to love you. Maybe someone or something is trying to tell you something, I don't know. I wouldn't worry about it unless they start getting to be nightmarish. It is all still very strange, though."


	25. Chapter 25-A Dark and Stormy Night

**_Chapter 25: A Dark and Stormy Night_**

It was a dark and stormy night...

No, really, it was.

Houston was experiencing one of its 'once in a decade' ice storms. I had worked very late that night, it was 'all hands on deck' with all the accidents that were happening due to the storm and being a bit short-staffed due to the weather. Some could not make it into work due to road closures. I was impressed by how the hospital handled itself during an event like this. Very efficient. I finally got out of the hospital sometime after 1am. I was tired and sore from being on the run for over 18 hours; I had not put in a day like that in a very long time. Thankfully I did not have to go in the next day because it was Saturday but I was on call in case some of the staff could not make it in. I felt (and smelled) like I had run a marathon so I showered, shaved and put my suit on then headed for the parking ramp. While I was warming up the Jag I decided that I was not going anywhere unless I absolutely had to tomorrow but I did need to pick up some groceries and other items. I had not eaten since lunch and was hungry. I drove_ very carefully_ over the mile and a half to the 24 hour grocery store. Very few cars were on the streets which proved helpful because I was sliding around a bit and I made it without wrapping myself around a telephone pole or hitting anything else.

After I had entered the grocery store I stood there for a moment and thought what I might like to have and what I needed to pick up. I thought some fresh fruit and veg would be nice for a start so I headed over to the produce section. The Pineapple looked and smelled good so I went to pick one out. Not having much experience with buying them I was trying to decide which one would be the best and then _I heard it_! The voice from my dreams said "Um...You can't really tell if a Pineapple is ripe by just groping it." My head snapped around so fast I thought my neck would break-_it __was__ her_! Same hair, same eyes, same hands, same voice and the same body type and shape from what I could tell-she was wearing a somewhat baggy green flight suit and a fleece jacket. Her face was a more heart-shaped than round with those dynamic, intelligent green eyes, high cheekbones, slightly full plum-colored bowed lips and a small, slightly full, straight nose. No makeup. Not 'movie star' beautiful but pretty-I liked that face, it was an honest one. I must have looked like a startled deer because she said "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you, I just wanted to help." I came to my senses and said "No, I am sorry. You just startled me, that's all." She gave me a slightly quizzical look and was quiet for a moment, like she was trying to remember something, then laughed (it was the same laugh!) and said "Pick the Pineapple up and smell it at the stem-if it smells like canned Pineapple it is ripe, if the smell is very faint it isn't, if it smells sweeter than canned Pineapple then it is overripe and will more than likely be mushy. If you are using it to make tropical drinks with alcohol and little paper umbrellas the overripe ones are better. Then grope it to check for cuts and bruising."

Not having any real experience in 'picking up women' I tried desperately to think of a way to keep talking to her. I certainly was _not_ going to tell her about the dreams so went for the ever popular "I just moved here and have never been in this store, can you help me find some items?" tactic. It worked! We spent about a half an hour in the store shopping for both of our groceries-talking and laughing as we went. We exchanged names and I learned that her name was Katie O'Hara, that "Yes, I know that was Scarlet O'Hara's first name, god alone knows how much crap I have had to put up with about it over the years! _Gee, Thanks Mom_!" That she is "¼ Irish and ¾ _northern_ Italian." She was born in Alaska, her parents are dead-her mother stayed at home with the kids and her father was a bush pilot. One brother and one sister, she is 'the baby of the family'. Both she and her brother are pilots, her sister is a software designer in Austin. She flies "Just about anything with a prop, including helicopters." I told her about myself, when she heard that I was a surgeon she laughed and said "Thank god, I thought you were a cop at first! Who else goes running around in a suit and tie at 2am? Then you spoke and I thought "British Cop!"

She laughs a lot and has the same intelligent, quick wit that I had heard snippets of in my dreams. I can't quite remember exactly what I said but she doubled up in laughter, wiped a tear from her eye and said "I LIKE YOU! You're really _funny_!" That was a first, no one had ever called me 'funny' before. I told her that and she looked into my eyes, smiled and said "You _are_ you know, maybe people just don't understand your particular brand of humor. It _is_ quite rare and like a fine wine it takes a discerning palate to fully appreciate it."

Our shopping done we went to the check out, I helped her bag hers up and she helped me bag mine up. As we walked to our cars I was trying to think of some way to keep her with me longer. Her car was parked next to mine, a white Honda Civic SI coupé with a bumper sticker that said "Laugh until life makes sense" on it. After depositing our groceries in our cars I looked at her and said "I am starving, I worked for 18 hours straight and haven't had anything since lunch. Would you like to go get something to eat?" She replied "That sounds good, I just got in before the airport closed and haven't had anything but a bit of beef jerky and some cashews since we left CHCH, I slept through most of the flight. Where do you want to go?" I thought for a second and said "Erm...What would be open at this time?" "Well, the best place would be Katz's in the Montrose, it's a couple miles away. If you are too freaked out about driving on ice I can drive and bring you back here. I'll bet that Jag isn't too fun to drive on this stuff. Don't worry about the groceries; they should be OK." "That sounds good." We got into her car and left.

The drive to the restaurant was an adventure. I thought she was driving a bit fast but didn't want to say anything. She sensed my discomfort and said "Don't be afraid, I grew up driving on this kind of stuff and haven't gotten into an accident yet. I have a blanket in the back, we can always throw that over your head like a bird-cage and you can go to sleep." The mental image of that made me laugh.

We arrived intact. We talked all the way through dinner. We talked and drank coffee. Lots of coffee...During that time I learned that she _had_ a sailboat-an Alibi 54 catamaran named 'Isilme'. It is anchored at Akaroa, New Zealand and she had lived on it up until a couple of years ago. She showed me pictures of it and it was the same boat from my dreams. Some of the pictures were taken by a small island with white sand beaches. I asked her were those were taken and she said "Up in the Cook Islands. I would spend a lot of time up there, it's really nice. The boat is rigged to be single-handed and it isn't that far from Akaroa to there, it would take me a little over a week to get there but I was always going to be staying for a couple months at least so it was no big deal." I asked "Weren't you afraid to sail that far in the open ocean by yourself?" "Not really. About the biggest worries you have out there are hitting a partially submerged shipping container, a log or a whale. It isn't the English Channel-it is pretty empty of shipping out there."

We didn't notice the time until it was getting light outside and were both pretty tired despite the overdose of caffeine. I asked the waiter for the bill, when he brought it she snatched it out of my hands, smiled and said "You can pay the next time!" "Thank you and that sounds good." With the bill sorted we made our way back to the grocery store, I didn't need the blanket this time around. She pulled up next to my car and I got out a business card and wrote my private phone number on the back, she pulled a notebook out of her purse and wrote hers on a piece of paper and handed it to me. I said "Thank you for dinner and a very enjoyable evening. I will call you later on today if that is alright. Do you live far from here?" She replied "Not very far, I have an apartment about a mile from here. And yes, do call. If you get voicemail leave a message and I will call you back, I sleep like a log. Thank you once again! I really had a good time tonight. Drive safely and sweet dreams!" We shook hands and I went to my car, she drove off into the sleet. I drove _very carefully_ home, put the groceries away and went to bed. I laid there thinking about last night for a very long time and finally drifted off to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26-A Grey and Icy Day

**_Chapter 26: A Grey and Icy Day_**

"It's really nasty out." I thought to myself looking out at the day from my warm bed. Sleet was still falling in great sheets, the trees and other vegetation were coated in ice. Everything was grey. I looked at the clock and it said 11:37am, "Not bad. I got four hours of sleep. Enough to give the body and brain a rest without throwing off my sleep patterns." I looked at my phone to check for missed calls or messages-there were none. I flung the covers aside as I got out of bed and slid my feet into my slippers, made the bed then headed for the shower. "The person who had built this house designed it well" I thought to myself as I got into the nice hot shower. The shower has a jetted shower panel with a massage function and I let out an audible sigh as the water massaged the long day I had at the hospital away. I looked that the large whirlpool tub through the glass and thought maybe I would use it later on...maybe.

After a half an hour in the shower I felt refreshed. I toweled off, put my robe on and shaved and brushed my teeth. "Not too bad, I don't look so tired anymore." I thought as I looked at myself in the mirror. I grabbed a fresh pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a vest, put them on and headed to my office for my Skype session with James Henry. I placed the call and almost immediately he answered. "Hello daddy! I love you!" "I love you and miss you! How was your day?" "It's snowing here and we made snowmen, had a snowball fight and went sledding. Mummy made us cocoa when we came back inside, it was really good!" "I am glad you had a good day, snow is fun to play in." "Did you ever make a snowman when you were little, daddy?" "No, I never had the chance to but I am glad that you have." He frowned a bit and said "Why didn't you get to make a snowman?" I had to think fast. I couldn't tell him that I was never allowed to, that would make him sad so I said "There was never enough snow to make one when I was little, you are lucky!" I thought about a story Katie told me last night about growing up in Alaska "I know someone who grew up in Alaska where it is cold and has lots of snow. She told me about making a giant snowman with her brother and sister when she was a child. It was so big it didn't melt until July." "It must have been really big! Where is Alaska, daddy?" One of the things I had bought him for Christmas was a laptop. It was more functional to use for the Skype calls because when he would ask questions like that I could send him a link that he could click on to show him things we were discussing in a new window. I quickly looked it up and sent a link. "Click on the link and you will see it." He opened the link and said "Alaska is bigger than England and way up by the North Pole. Do they have Polar Bears there?" "Yes they do, up in the far north of the state, there are Grizzly bears in the south part." "Did your friend ever see a Polar Bear?" "Yes, she has. Lots of them." "Was she scared?" "No. Polar Bears don't scare her." He smiled and said "She must be very brave! I would be scared of a Polar Bear, they are big!" I smiled at him and said "I would be scared of one, too! And, yes, she is very brave and fearless." "She sounds like Merida in the movie! Has she seen any other cool animals?" I thought back to some of the stories she told me last night and said "Yes, she has also seen Grizzly Bears, Wolverines, Wolves, Caribou, Musk Ox, Emperor Penguins, Wandering Albatross, Leopard Seals, Kiwi Birds, Kangaroos, Koala Bears, Killer Whales, Humpback Whales and even a Blue Whale." I could see his face light up while I was naming all the animals "WOW! Does she have pictures of them? Can we see her when I come to Texas?" "Yes, she has lots of pictures and video of all the animals she has seen and if she is still here when you come you can meet her and she will tell you stories about all the animals." "YAY! I can't wait!" He cheered then he thought for a second and asked "Why wouldn't she be there when I come visit you, daddy?" I replied "She is a pilot and flies all over the world. In fact, she just got back from Antarctica yesterday. She might have to go somewhere and not be here when you visit but if she is here I will take you to meet her." He got all excited again and said "A pilot! Can she take me for an airplane ride?" I replied "When she is here she flies helicopters. If she is I will ask if she can take you for a ride in a helicopter." "You have the neatest friends, daddy!" I smiled and said "Yes...Yes I do." Louisa popped into the picture carrying a laundry basket and said "Hello, Martin!" I replied "Good Evening, Louisa! You look a bit tired." She smiled and laughed "You try doing laundry for seven sometime!" James Henry piped up excitedly "Daddy has a new friend named Katie that has seen all kinds of animals and is very brave! She has seen Polar Bears and isn't afraid of them! She is a pilot and I might get to go on a helicopter ride when I go visit daddy!" Louisa looked at me with a little twinkle in her eye "A 'friend', eh?" I looked at her and said "Yes, she is just a friend." I mentally added a 'for the moment' and smiled slightly. Louisa knows me very well, she smiled mischievously and said "It is good to know that you are making new 'friends', Martin! I am happy for you! Anyway, you two have been at this for about two hours and it is past James's bedtime. I hate to break this up but we have to get up early tomorrow." I replied "The time has really flown. I understand. Well, son, it is time for you to go to bed so I will say good night to you and have sweet dreams. I love you!" Good night, daddy! Talk to you tomorrow! I love you!" Louisa said "Have a good afternoon, Martin!" With that we both logged off.

"Coffee...I need coffee." I thought to myself and headed to the kitchen to make some espresso. I took a sip and looked at the slip of paper on the counter with Katie's phone number on it and looked at the handwriting. Interesting, very architectural. I picked up the phones and added the number to both the house phone and my mobile, then I dialed it. "Hello..." said a sleepy voice. "Good Afternoon, Katie! I hope I didn't wake you." "Oh..Hello, Martin! No, you didn't wake me up; I have been up for a while and haven't had any coffee yet. I don't think I could handle any more coffee at the moment! How are you doing today?" I replied "I am very well! I really enjoyed last night and was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me tonight. Not a 'date' kind of thing, just a casual dinner." She replied "I would love to but I don't know what would be open. The whole city is basically shut down." I thought for a moment and said "You could come over here, I am a fairly good cook and I have plenty of food." "Where do you live, Martin?" I gave her the address "Oh, that isn't far at all and I wouldn't have to use an overpass to get there. They are all iced up and closed. What time?" I thought and said "Anytime you like. We can talk for a while and watch the sleet fall and then have some dinner." "Great! I could be there in an hour, I still need to take a shower and it is a skating rink out there. How does that sound?" I replied "Excellent! I will see you soon!" "I will call you right before I leave, do you need me to bring anything or pick anything up-if the stores are open that is?" "No, I have everything we need, see you soon!" "Goodbye, Martin, and see you soon!"

I ran around the house tidying things up while thinking of what to make for dinner. The phone rang, it was Don. "Oh, No!" I thought to myself "I'm getting called in!" I answered the phone "Hello, Don! How are things going for you today?" he replied "Fine, I'm enjoying a nice Brandy by the fire and watching the storm outside. Was just calling to see how things are going over at your place." I sat down and said "Don, I met her last night. She is real! She is coming over for dinner and will be calling soon to let me know she is leaving her house. I really like her!" He replied "WOW!" then said skeptically "Are you sure?" "Yes, same eyes, same voice, same hair, same hands, same laugh, same height, same body type. Her face is not beautiful but pretty. When I first saw it last night I thought 'she has an honest face'." I could hear him set down his glass "OK, tell me all about it-the full who, what, where, when and why. I know you are waiting for her call so if you have to go I understand." I then proceeded to tell him the whole story, when I finished there was a moment of silence and then he said "Well, my friend, it appears that some dreams _do_ come true. I am happy for you! You wouldn't mind me popping over to meet her? I wouldn't stay long." I replied "No, not at all. I invited her over for conversation and dinner, not to 'see my etchings'! Though if she would _like_ to 'see my etchings' later on I would not be opposed to it..." Don laughed and said "You _dog_! I'll be right over unless a tree jumps in front of my car on the way!" About ten minutes later the doorbell rang, it was Don "Come in and get out of the sleet! Let me take your coat." Don said "I parked on the street so she can park in the driveway. Ye gods, is it slippery out there! I asked Don "You want an espresso?" "That would be fine." The phone rang as I was making the espressos. I picked it up and said "Hello Katie! Are you on your way?" She replied "Should be there in less than five minutes." "Good! You will see my car in the driveway, just pull up next to it and be careful, it is rather slick. I don't have any salt or sand to spread on it." She replied "No problems! In fact I think I may already be at your house. Yup, same blue Jag..." I hung up the phone and said to Don "She is here!" ran to the door and opened it "Hello, Martin! Thanks for inviting me over!" I replied "It is nice to see you again, Katie! Please come in! May I take your coat?" I assisted her with her coat and hung it up. She smiled and made a slight bow and said "Thank you, sir!" She was wearing faded jeans, a grey Henley thermal underwear shirt with the top two buttons undone, a necklace with a small rectangular bluish-green stone on a fine white gold chain, a maroon tooled leather Ranger belt and black moccasin type shoes.

We walked into the living room and she said "This is really beautiful; you have a very nice home!" Don stood up as we walked in and her attention was drawn to him "I would like to introduce you to a colleague and old friend of mine Dr. Donovan Kane." We walked up to him and she shook his hand "Don, may I introduce you to Katie O'Hara." They shook hands and Don said "It is a pleasure to meet you!" She replied "I have heard so much about you, sir!" Don said "Please just call me Don." She smiled and replied "That works for me, Don!"

"Please make yourself comfortable, would you like something to drink?" Don said "Martin makes a good espresso, I think he was a Barista in a former life." She laughed "That sounds wonderful, I think I'm finally ready for some." I walked to the kitchen to make the espresso leaving Don and Katie to talk. As I walked back to the living room I heard the sounds of laughter. Don was wiping a tear from his eye and said "God, that is funny! Have you told that story to Martin?" She laughed and said "Not yet, I didn't want to scare him off…" "You gotta hear this, Martin, and I have to hear the rest of it! Can you start it from the beginning?" "OK...Well, I was working at McMurdo a couple years ago and somebody noticed there had not been a reported case of Scurvy in Antarctica in 100 years. So they set up the 'Scurvy Awareness Program' with a contest to see if someone could contract Scurvy. The grand prize for the first person who had a verified case of Scurvy was 1oz. of Gold, 3 bottles of Flintstone's Chewable Vitamin C tablets and a night of debauchery at the best 'massage parlor' in Christchurch, Punta Arenas or Hobart. Guinea Pigs were not allowed to participate, just humans..." It was a hilarious tale of corporate idiocy, government stupidity and sheer craziness. At the end of it I asked her if she had participated and she said "No. There are times when it is best to just sit back, grab a beer and enjoy the 'floor show'. That was one of them. I also _like_ my teeth."

We talked for hours as the grey of the day gave way to night, the sleet turned into ice pellets. Don looked at the clock above the fireplace and said "Is it that late already? I only intended to stop by for a couple minutes but I have been really enjoying myself. I'd best be going." I invited him to stay for dinner and he said "Thank you but I have dinner waiting for me at home." He stood up and went over to her and said "It was nice meeting you and hope to see you again soon!" she replied "I really enjoyed this afternoon. We must do this again sometime!" I walked Don to the door and got his coat out of the closet. He looked at me and said "I _really_ like her, Martin! This one is _exactly_ what the Doctor ordered for you. One of the things you said to me that night on the patio was, and I quote '_I want to be a person who gets jokes and laughs at them. I want to do things that I was never allowed to do as a child and had neither time nor inclination for as an adult. I want to take chances and do things that I would have never considered before_.' _This one_ will help you do that _and_ enjoy the process. Don't screw it up!"


	27. Chapter 27-Baby, It's Cold Outside

**_Chapter 27: Baby, It's Cold Outside..._**

I waved at Don as he drove _very carefully_ off and closed the door with his words of "Don't screw it up!" echoing in my head. "Well" I thought "one way of screwing it up is to leave a lady guest waiting..."

I walked back to the living room and she wasn't there. As I was about to go searching for her she came around the corner from the direction of my office "Sorry, I needed to use the washroom." She said as she rounded the corner. "I hope you don't mind but I also looked at the selection of books and other items in your library. An interesting and rather eclectic selection. You can tell a lot about a person by what books they _choose_ to keep" I smiled at her and said "Well, what do my books tell you about me?" "That we have similar yet different tastes. You tend towards the 'life sciences'-biology, biochemistry, biomechanics and medicine naturally. Yet they are not tied to one particular 'dogma', for lack of a better term, they cover all aspects and opinions. Interested in Asian art and medical practices as illustrated by the Buddha's and the medicine boxes-mostly Chinese and Indian. The Latin and Greek dictionaries are no surprise considering your occupation-they are well worn, you probably bought them while at Oxford. Some books on architecture and mechanical engineering indicating a precise mind. A new book on Birds of North America which I am going to assume was a gift from your son from what you have told me about him. A lot of clock repair manuals so I would assume that is a hobby-that fits in with a surgeon's personality. Minute repairs of complex devices with many small parts. I bet that clock repair is a good 'exercise' for surgical skills. There is also a good selection of histories and biographies concentrated on western history and British history in particular. Some books on art, most of which I am going to guess you picked up at art exhibitions at various London galleries when you lived there. Judging by those books I am going to guess that you are not a great fan of most modern art. Very little fiction but what there is of it is good fiction. You get _10 bonus points_ for having all the works of Tolkien-I love Tolkien! I was surprised by seeing copies of "A Canticle for Leibowitz" and "The Stand", both tie in with the other books-Leibowitz ties in with the mechanical, The Stand with the biological. I love The Stand..."

I looked at her and smiled "Well, what would the books and items in your library tell me about you?" She laughed and said "Be afraid...be _very_ afraid!" I tossed another log on the fire and said "Come on, tell me!" She looked at me and asked "Is it OK if I take my shoes off? I don't want to get your furniture dirty." "Sure, be my guest!" She took her shoes off and tucked her feet up under herself. "OK. In my library you would see many books on 'physical science'-geology, geography, paleontology, oceanology, meteorology, astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, chemistry and plain ol' physics. The geological books tend towards works on 'Deep Time' and Plate Tectonics which tie in with paleontology. My books on aviation, navigation, etc are connected with my work, naturally. An interesting collection of atlases and maps. You will find all the works of Tolkien including a framed poster for the exhibition of his artwork for his books that was held at the Bodleian library back in the 1980's. A bit more fiction in general but almost all of it historically based and what I would call 'semi fiction', they have fictional characters set in real historical settings. 'Shogun', 'The Winds of War' and 'War and Remembrance'-that kind of thing. _No_ 'girly' romance novels, though I do have some science fiction including "A Canticle for Leibowitz". A lot of cookbooks of all types and cuisines. A lot of books on sports-sailing, ice hockey, backcountry camping and skiing. Survival guides, which in my line of work can come in handy. Books on the high latitudes and exploration. A lot of history books, including all 25 volumes of The Oxford History of the World that belonged to my grandfather, the rest are mostly concentrated on ancient Egyptian and ancient Roman history with some Sumerian tossed into the mix. A couple biographies on Augustus including a copy of "Res Gestae Divi Augusti". Copies of ancient works like 'The Histories' by Herodotus, 'Agricola' by Tacitus "The Twelve Caesars" by Suetonius and 'The Canterbury Tales' in middle English by Chaucer. Books on art, some from exhibitions I have seen and the rest on Ukiyo-e. You collect mostly Chinese and Indian, I collect Japanese. I have a few works of Ukiyo-e hanging on the walls, mostly from the shin-hanga movement. Hasui, Koitsu, Shotei... I have two rare prints that I spent a lot of money on-"Night Snow at Nezu Shrine, Tokyo" by Koitsu and "Yakuo Temple, Mito" by Hasui. Oh, and my high school yearbooks which you will _never_ see. _NEVER_!" She smiled and said "So, what does that tell you about me?"

"WOW!" I thought to myself. Logical. Highly intelligent with a scientific bent and, I thought as I looked at her, appealing physically. This is a woman that I don't think I would ever be bored with. She could teach _me_ a thing or two and I find that rare in _anyone_.

"You are right, we have similar yet different tastes which makes for interesting conversation. One question I do have to ask is why didn't you use your degrees in geology and paleontology and go into academics." She laughed and replied "I'd be bored _stiff_ sitting at some university teaching! Besides, I have never been good at 'office politics'-I am too headstrong and opinionated to play those games well. Being a pilot is interesting work that takes me around the world, gives me great freedom and it pays a hell of a lot better. Skua gotta eat, too!"

"Speaking of eating I should get dinner started, what would you like?" She replied "What have you got?" I stood up and said "Let's go look, shall we?" "Sounds like a plan, lead on!" and followed me into the kitchen. We rummaged through the kitchen and decided on Grilled Lamb Chops, Rosemary Garlic roasted baby potatoes, Petit Pois a la Bonne Femme and a salad of Romaine and wild field greens with vinaigrette. I made the Lamb Chops and salad, she made the potatoes and peas and I cut up 'The Pineapple of Doom', as she called it, for dessert. We worked well in the kitchen together. She set the table while I put the side dishes in bowls and plated up the chops. I asked her what she wanted to drink and hoped it wouldn't be wine, I didn't want to fall asleep! Thankfully she said "Ice water will do splendidly, thank you. Most wine gives me a really nasty headache, especially French wine." While we ate we talked about a variety of subjects-I complemented her on the potatoes and the peas, she complemented me on the lamb chops and salad. We laughed as we ate the pineapple, if it weren't for that pineapple we would have never met. When we finished we cleared the table, cleaned up the dishes and the kitchen. I thought to myself "This all feels so _natural_ being with her, there is no tension, no apprehension-it's like we have been doing this for years."

By the time we finished up it was about 10pm so we went and sat in front of the fire and turned on the TV to watch the news. It was _all _bad-all the freeways were shut down and so were the major side streets. The airports were closed last night and remained closed. The Mayor was advising no travel except on an emergency basis. Thousands were without electricity. Trees were buckling under the weight of the ice and falling on houses. The weatherman said the storm would be done by late Sunday morning. I worried that she might not be able to get home, then I worried that she might. When the sports came on I asked if she wanted to continue to watch the TV, she said no. "You haven't given me a tour of your house yet, all I have seen is the living room, office and kitchen." I replied "We sort of forgot to do that, didn't we? Follow me!" and headed for the stairs.

We didn't get past the master bedroom...


	28. Chapter 28-Koi

**_Chapter 28: Koi_**

At the second floor landing we stopped to look over the balcony to see the view to the first floor and out over the garden/pool/summer kitchen area. One wall is three floors of glass and gives the house a nice open feel with lots of natural light. "This gives a good overview of the first floor, one of the things that sold me on this house was how 'open' yet private it feels. The landscaping makes you feel like you are in a house in a forest in the middle of nowhere." She looked around from our vantage point "Whoever designed this house knew _exactly_ what they wanted and how to accomplish it. Do you know who the original owner was?" I replied "He owns one of the best architectural firms in the city. He built this as a 'show home' to illustrate how beautiful and functional a low energy usage home can be. Despite the wall of glass and the square footage it uses less energy than a home half its size. Most of the metals and stone used in the construction are recycled. For example, the wood used for the mantelpiece is a recycled railroad tie; the slate used in the floor of the dining room was recycled from the home that used to stand on this lot, the limestone used for the wall where the fireplace was from that home, too. The rest of the flooring was recycled from an old church that was torn down to build some high-rise. That was another large selling point for me."

I placed my hand on her shoulder and gently directed her view "You can see the Koi pond in the courtyard over there." She looked and then slowly turned around and looked me in the eyes, my hand still on her shoulder and asked in a quiet voice "Are the Koi going to be alright out there? Won't the water freeze?" I looked her in the eyes and said softly "There is a heater in the pond that keeps it from freezing over..." We held that position for a couple moments and then we kissed briefly, then broke apart slightly, breathed softly and looked in each other's eyes for a moment. She said a bit breathlessly "Martin, I don't want to be a 'chatty Cathy' but there are a couple of things you need to know before things proceed further..." I thought to myself "Oh God, here it comes! She is going to say that she 'doesn't like me that way.'" I looked into her eyes and gently stroked her shoulders and said quietly "Go ahead..." She looked down briefly, tears rolling down her cheeks and said with a quiet, trembling voice "I will try to be brief. I have some scars that most men find unpleasant to look at. I told you my mother died when I was 4½ years old in a house fire. She died throwing me out the window into a snow bank because **_I_** was on fire, my nightgown was burning. The roof collapsed as I hit the snow and it killed her. I have scars from second degree and a few third degree burns over a third of my lower legs, the scars have faded over the years but are still quite noticeable and the skin texture is different. Some men can't handle that. I also blew my left knee out in a skiing accident. I was a competitive speed skier at one time. I was going 78 miles an hour and caught an edge and fell. The left binding did not release and the ski dug into the snow and twisted my knee like a stalk of Celery. This was before they had arthroscopic surgery so my left knee looks like it has zippers installed on both sides of it." She took my hand and put it gently on her left leg about a third of the way between the knee and the hip. "You feel that 'dent'? That was from my pole digging in and hitting that part of the leg, the force tore the muscle and there was no way to repair it at that time so it has calcified. On my right upper arm are many small scars and pits from when my brother dropped his shotgun while we were Duck hunting. It went off and I got some of the birdshot in my arm. My father dug it all out of my arm; we were too far from a hospital or doctor to have it done properly. They weren't in too deep so the arm retains function, it is just scarred. I was lucky, another 3 inches up and it would have probably shredded the arteries in my neck and I would have bled to death. That's it...and I will totally understand if you find these scars unappealing, and if you do, I would still like to be friends with you."

I gently lifted her chin up, wiped the tears from her eyes and said "Your scars are on the outside, _mine_ _are on the inside_. When I gave you a glimpse into the 'box of horrors' that had been my life last night you didn't reject me-you gave me words of compassion, wisdom, healing and kindness that touched my very soul. The body is just a vehicle to carry the soul around and allows it to interact with another soul. In our case my scars are the greater and you have embraced them, how could I be so unkind not to embrace yours?" She looked at me, smiled and we kissed...a lingering kiss of healing, compassion and cleansing. We slowly parted and looked in each other's eyes. I held out my hand, she took it and we walked hand in hand into the bedroom.

What transpired over the course of the next few hours was more than just a sexual encounter, more than just 'making love'-it was the healing and bonding of two souls. I thought I knew what the word ecstasy meant before we walked into the bedroom. I did not. I learned its true meaning over the course of that stormy January night.

I awoke sometime around 7am. She was sleeping cuddled up next to me, her head resting on my shoulder. I gently caressed her and tried to put words to how I felt because I had never felt that way before. For the first time in my life I feel calm, content and at peace. I feel complete, like a part of my very essence that had been missing all my life has finally been found. I thought back to what Louisa told me the day I left Britain _"If you keep your heart and mind open one day, when you least expect it, your soul mate __will__ appear_." She was right. I have found her in the _last place_ I had expected in the form of a person that was _totally unexpected_. I found her in the produce section of a grocery store on a stormy night in the form of pilot who had just come home from Antarctica. As I pondered these thoughts I felt her starting to wake up. Her eyes opened sleepily, she looked up into my eyes and cupped my cheek "mmmm...Good Morning, my love...this feels good..." I kissed her and said "Yes, it does...and a very Good Morning to you, my love!" She smiled and cuddled up closer to me as her hand drifted down my chest. "Doctor Ellingham, are you aware of the fact that men have nipples, too?" as she started toying with my left one. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation "Mmmmm...I seem to recall learning that in basic anatomy...that was years ago, though...I might need a refresher course..." She kissed me then proceeded to give me a _very_ _thorough_ refresher course in the anatomy of the human male. I was right in my earlier assessment; she _could_ teach me a thing or two.

An hour or so later we had drifted over to the whirlpool tub in the bathroom letting the water soothe us. The sun was starting to peek out from behind the clouds. One of the things she had taught me in my 'refresher course' was that I am ticklish in one or two spots and she was enjoying watching me giggle (God, when was the last time I did that? Probably as a baby and I doubt I did even then.). I had discovered in teaching her the basics of the human female anatomy that she is ticklish pretty much all over and I was using that knowledge to my advantage. I made the mistake of bringing the phone with me; I was still on call and did not want to miss it if I was called in. Of course, the damned thing rang and announced that it was Don calling. I went to grab it but she got it first and answered it in a cheerful voice "Doctor Ellingham is currently busy teaching a refresher course on basic anatomy and cannot come to the phone right..." I snatched the phone out of her hand and almost dropped it in the water. "Hey!" she exclaimed, I tickled her foot and she giggled. I said "Hello Don, how are you today?" He was laughing "Well, **_that_** answered my question! You planning on coming up for air or are you two going to play 'Doctor' all day?" I replied "I don't know, what do you have in mind?" He replied "Most everything is starting to reopen and I'm getting cabin fever. I was going to ask if you two wanted to go over to Papasito's for lunch-they will be opening at noon." "Let me ask...Katie, would you like to go to Papasito's for lunch?" She said "Sure, if you want to, I'm starving! Though I hope he doesn't mind me wearing the same clothes I had on yesterday and walking funny." Don overheard that and started laughing again "God, Martin! You are never going to have a dull moment in your life ever again with that woman! I take that as a 'yes' then?" I replied "That is a yes, you want to meet there or want us to come pick you up?" Don replied "Meet there, that way you two can go to her place and pick up some of her clothes on the way back. I am going to guess that she won't be going home tonight. Well, I am going to go get ready so I will let you go. See you at noon!" "Sounds good, goodbye, Don!"


	29. Chapter 29-In Dreams

**_Chapter 29: In Dreams and In the House_**

Katie didn't go 'home' that night, or any other. Her home was my home...our home.

Within two weeks we had moved all her belongings out of her flat and over to my house, including the Maple leaf floor lamp (and its matching table lamp) and the Ukiyo-e that I saw in the dreams. That night, as we were cuddling after love, I finally told her about the dreams I had had of her (without telling her the subject matter at first) and asked her if she had a similar experience. I found out that she had dreamed of me, too, and the subject matter of them was almost the same as mine but from her perspective. In her first one she was dreaming that she was in a 'strange kitchen in a really nice house' and she had just finished preparing dinner and went to a door that led out to a swimming pool in a beautiful garden. She saw an older boy with blond hair and two younger children, they were playing in the pool and the man was relaxing in a Jacuzzi with his back to her watching the children. He had short greying blond hair and smooth skin. It was early evening and it was warm and humid. She remembers that she was calling out to them that "It's time to come in, dinner is almost ready."

The second one was short, she was in a 'strange house' checking that everything was packed and ready to go and was looking at her _three_ passports. After she woke up from that one she asked herself how the _hell_ she had ended up with a British passport. She recognized the American one and the New Zealand one. I asked her about the New Zealand passport. Why had she become a dual citizen? She had worked for the USAP for a long time. During that time she had made a few visits to Texas to see her sister and on one of those trips she bought a Powerball ticket and won! After taxes she had $44.7 million. She quit the USAP and retired, invested half of the money by buying gold which was $290/oz. at the time she won. Her one big 'splurge' was the 'Isilme' which she had built to her specifications and that cost $4 million and then thought of where she wanted to live. She really liked New Zealand and had no real desire to move back to the states so she sailed the 'Isilme' from Thailand to New Zealand, set about obtaining citizenship and got it. She lived there until her sister got sick and she moved back here 'for a bit' to be with her. Hearing that bit shocked me! I had no idea... Now I understand why she was so insistent on paying half of the household expenses. When I told her she didn't have to she said "I've got the money and I want to do it!"

In the third one she was at one of her favorite places on earth, a little island called 'Honeymoon Island' that is inside the lagoon at Aitutaki. It was 'just another day in paradise' and she was scuba diving. She was looking for someone and then she saw him. A tall, well-proportioned man with short silver hair on his head and a relatively hairless body. When she saw him a feeling of love and desire had washed over her. She swam towards him and got close enough to where she only saw his eyes, they were grey with flecks of turquoise from the water reflecting in them. She couldn't tell what his face looked like with the mask and breathing apparatus on. She said she ran her hand down his chest, tapped her watch, gave him a 'thumbs up' to signal that she was going back to the boat and surfaced. She remembered saying "Race you to the boat!" but her dream continued on-she had no Ashley waking her up! He beat her to the boat and helped her aboard when she got there. They helped each other take their diving tanks and other equipment off and she saw his face, it was me. She said "You remember at the grocery store when you first looked at me and I stood there and said nothing for a minute? It was because I was surprised to see the face from my dream." I asked her what we did during the rest of her dream and she kissed me, laughed and said '"What we did about an hour ago. I'll tell you that dream had me all hot and bothered when I woke up! _Very frustrating_!"

Then she had one that was similar to mine-where it was like looking at the world though my eyes. It was short because I was performing surgery and that made her sick and she woke up. We discussed what we thought all of this meant but we came down to the same conclusion that can be summed up by a quote from Shakespeare; "_There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy_."

I haven't had much experience with living with a woman but found this was vastly different than the others. I lived with Edith and that was, in retrospect, little more than a 'roommate' situation where we occasionally had sex on _her terms only_ and that was cold and clinical. There was no real warmth, no love. It was little more than mutual masturbation. I was a fool and was played for a fool in that 'relationship'. The only excuse I have for that is that I was young, inexperienced and thinking with the wrong 'head', so to speak. Living with Louisa, in retrospect, was like living in a minefield-one wrong step and it blew up. We loved each other but were constantly fighting each other and in the end it became impossible to bear. Our love for our son and desire to give him a good home prolonged the situation. An old adage sums that situation up nicely 'It was her way or the highway' and eventually I chose the highway. I still do love Louisa, but only as one loves a dear friend and the mother of my child.

This is so different. I had found my soul mate. We completed each other and Don summed it up well when he said "She breathes life into you." I had observed that first night after dinner _"This all feels so natural being with her, there is no tension, no apprehension-it's like we have been doing this for years."_ was turning out to be the truth, and much more. I had learned the true meaning of the word ecstasy on that first night. Over the following months I had learned the true meanings of the words, joy, happiness, wonder, bliss and the meaning of the most important word of all-love. We both have very scientific minds but in different areas and were both enjoying learning from each other's areas of expertise. I found the discussions we had about deep time and tectonics fascinating and she taught me how to 'read the land' to paint a mental picture of how it was formed. She was really intrigued with the biomechanical and nanotechnology course work I was doing and was becoming a great help to me with it. She seems to have a natural talent for it, too. She also wanted to learn about surgery to understand my work. She watched me perform some procedures from the observation gallery and would ask very good questions about them afterwards. Watching them was difficult for her due to the, as she put it, high 'Ick and Ewww' factor but she did it in order to learn and was very proud that she 'didn't barf'. She wanted to learn how to do some of the stiches that are used in surgery and I taught her and she became very good at them. We were learning things about each other physically, too. She discovered much to her delight that I had a couple more spots where I was ticklish and, as she put it, my 'on' switch. I discovered that, much to my delight, that she too had an 'on' switch. She already has superb muscle control and I found that if I hit her 'on' switch at just the right moment that effect was _greatly_ amplified. The first time I discovered that we both thought we were going to have a heart attack, the pleasure was so _intense_.

She would come down to the hospital once or twice a week to spend some time with me. Everyone I worked with absolutely loved her and she soon became a much beloved feature. Especially when she would make biscuits (or cookies as they are called here) and 'cookie bomb' them. She had an excellent idea that has become a regular feature and is proving beneficial to all both personally and professionally. One of the features in our home is the billiard room. It was not a selling point to the house for me, it was just there and I had not used it before she moved in. After she moved in we would occasionally spend an evening playing. I wasn't very good at first and then she gave me the 'great revelation'. She laughed and said "This should be _easy_ for you, hun! You are overthinking your shots. You need to relax and remember that pool is little more than an exercise in simple geometry and the effects of the interaction between two or more objects of similar weight and size in a finite space. There is a modern Zen koan that was originally applied to golf that works quite well with pool and it says 'Let the nothingness into your shots'. Do that and you will be able to beat anyone at this game!" Later on that night as we were curled up on the couch she said "I've got an idea! We should have a 'pool party'! Invite a few folks over, make some barbecue and have our own little pool tournament. The game is great for conversation and I think people would enjoy it." So we did and it has led to some great conversations and some very good ideas. It is now a regular fixture at our house and, from what I gather, invitations are sought after.

The one time we have been apart for any length of time was last week. She had taken a contract job to fly machinery and parts to some godforsaken place centrally located in the middle of nowhere along the Sea of Okhotsk and was gone for a week. During the time she was gone I slept badly, ate poorly, was very moody and felt like all the color had gone out of the world. I even went into my first 'patented Martin Ellingham nuclear rant' here. Some fool intern gave the wrong orders to the nurses concerning a patient's medication which could have caused that patient serious complications or to die. I am sure that the only reason I went into a rant was because Katie was in Russia and I was absolutely miserable without her.

When she came back she told me that instead of enjoying herself as she usually does when going to places such as that all she could think of was getting back home to me. I smiled when she said as I was driving her home that "The first thing I am doing when we get home is jumping your bones, hun!" and she ran a hand up my thigh. I gulped as she did that and asked her what she was doing (What a _stupid_ question, I knew _exactly_ what she was doing!) and she said "In the 'oil bidness' this is called 'fishing for tool'..."


	30. Chapter 30-Over the Rainbow

**_Chapter 30: Over the Rainbow_**

Robert's flight was arriving from Heathrow at 3pm. thankfully he was coming in on a Sunday so the traffic was light. I started thinking about how things had changed for me in the six months since I left. Before I left the UK Robert had said that he had to attend a conference here and I had invited him to stay with me. At that time I thought my life in Houston would be similar to what it had been in London-a nice flat, a very few cold and snobby friends and the same 'me' that I had always been. I think he will be very surprised by the changes in my life and myself. I am _not_ the same man who I was six months ago and I would have to say that I have finally broken out of the chrysalis and become a new and very different being. I can honestly say I am happy. I enjoy my job. I have more friends now then I have _ever_ had in my entire life and they are _good_ friends. I 'get' jokes now and laugh more than I ever did. I am no longer uncomfortable discussing things of a personal nature or trying to bury my emotions. The very most important thing that has happened to me is Katie, who is _literally_ the woman of my dreams.

I pulled into the parking ramp, found a spot near the lift and made my way into the terminal. His flight was due to arrive in about a half an hour so I got some coffee and called home. Katie answered "Hello, Martin! I love you!" "I love you too! I got here a bit early and am waiting for Robert's plane to come in. How is everything going on your end?" She replied "Just peachy! Everything is ready to go for dinner and the Tarte aux Fraises turned out beautifully. It's such a beautiful day so I'm sitting out on the patio reading and trying to relax. I am a bit nervous about meeting Robert as you know…" "Yes, I know and you shouldn't be-he will love you...Oh, I see him coming now so I'd better go. We'll see you in a bit!" "See you soon, hun! Drive safely!"

Robert had just come through the door from customs and was looking around; I walked towards him and called out "Robert!" He saw me and started walking towards me, we met and shook hands "Welcome to Houston, Robert! I am so glad to see you! How was your flight?" "_My God, Martin!_" He exclaimed "I hardly recognized you-no suit, in jeans, _smiling_! You look ten years younger and you are letting your hair grow out a bit I see. Apparently Houston is treating you quite well. The flight was good. How are you, my friend?" "Doing just fine...Let me take your bags, the car is in the parking ramp. Follow me!" As we drove back to the house Robert filled me in on the latest London gossip (a good part of it was about me and my move here), discussed mutual friends, some of the things he wanted to check out while he was here and he remarked on the interesting architecture of the skyscrapers and how pleasant the weather was-he was expecting it to be very hot and humid. I told him about my job, the people I work with and some of the interesting things I have done or been involved with. As we were clearing downtown and almost home I said to him "Robert, there is something you should know before we reach the house. I do not live alone; I live with my partner Katie. She is a wonderful woman and I love her very much. In fact I am hoping that by this time next year we will be married, maybe even with a little one on the way. Just so you know she is a bit nervous about meeting you, you are the first person she will be meeting from my 'old life." The expression on Robert's face was priceless; it takes much to make him drop his composure for even a moment and he _did_ have a very surprised look on his face. "Who **_are_** you and what have you done with Martin Ellingham? So tell me about this woman." I replied "She is American, born at Halibut Bay Alaska. She is a pilot who, as she would put it, 'Specializing in high latitude and extreme conditions flight operations. If it absolutely, positively needs to get there _in one piece_ they call me.' Flies mostly cargo if she is flying a plane and she also flies helicopters. Spent many years working in Antarctica. Highly intelligent and well read. Has good taste and is a wonderful cook. Excellent photographer. She has a bumper sticker on her car that sums up her philosophy on life and it reads 'Laugh until life makes sense.'...Ah, here we are!" I pulled up into the driveway and Robert remarked as I parked the car "What a beautiful home, Martin!" We grabbed his bags out of the boot of the car and went into the house, the soft sounds of 'Cast Your Fate to the Wind' by The Vince Guaraldi Trio could be heard and the smell of fresh-baked bread and fresh-cut flowers wafted through the air. Robert was stunned. I called out "Honey, we're home!" as I set Robert's bags down. She came in from the patio as the song changed to Ramsey Lewis's cover version of "And I Love Her" dressed in a collarless sage green renaissance shirt made of a soft gauze; unlaced just enough to reveal a silver necklace with a pendant in Kanji, faded jeans with her maroon Ranger belt and barefoot. Robert's attention was drawn to her and I watched him as he watched her, the small smile that crept onto his face told me all I needed to know-he was already enchanted by her. "Welcome to our home, Robert!" she said as she shook his hand. He replied "Thank you! Martin was just telling me about you, what he failed to mention was your striking green eyes!" She laughed and said "Thank you for the kind complement! If there is one thing I have learned about this guy is that he likes to surprise people. Please, make yourself at home." She turned to me and we softly hugged and kissed then she said "Welcome home, sweetie!" I turned to Robert and said "I will take your bags up to your room, please make yourself comfortable." He replied "I will follow you; I would like to change out of this suit and freshen up a bit." Katie looked at us and said "There are fresh towels on the towel warmer if you care to take a shower. I'll be outside if you need me."

I escorted Robert to his room and helped him unpack and hang up his clothing. "All I have to say is that I am already absolutely bowled over by her! _Well done, Ellingham_!" I replied "Thank you! J'ai eu le coup de foudre pour Katie." Robert laughed and said "French...you really _are_ in love, aren't you? I don't think I have ever seen you like this before; you are definitely _not_ the same man I have known all these years. You have changed...for the better. I am happy for you!" I replied "No...I am not that man any longer...Anyway, I will leave you to it. Come down when you are ready, we'll be outside." With that I left his room and closed the door behind me.

I went downstairs to the patio; Katie was on a large chaise lounge reading a book, an old favorite of hers called "Origins" by Ron Redfern and sipping some Cinnamon Mint Iced Tea-a refreshing and tasty drink made from a recipe of her own invention. The soft sounds of water splashing down the waterfall into the pool, Dave Brubeck's version of 'Over the Rainbow' and birdsong filled the air. The greens of the garden and the deep blue of the pool glowing in the late afternoon light. I stood and took in the scene before me and thought "Robert was right, I _am_ in love and I am _definitely_ not the man I was before. _I_ am the one who is truly 'over the rainbow'..." I walked over to her, gently took the book from her hands, placed the bookmark at the page she was on and set it on the table. She looked up at me, smiled and set down her glass. I reclined next to her, took her in my arms and we enjoyed a lingering kiss. As we broke apart she adjusted herself to snuggle up against me and I put my arm around her and held her. I started toying with her necklace and the laces on her shirt with my free hand. She giggled and said "Don't start something we won't be able to finish unless you plan on giving your friend a 'free show'!" I hugged her tighter and said "Oh, I _do_ love you, Katie O'Hara!" and kissed her on the top of her head. She looked up at me, smiled and started nibbling my neck. I laughed and said "Now don't _you_ start something we can't finish unless _you_ plan on giving Robert a 'free show'!" She hugged me and said "That's entertainment!" She picked up the book and opened it to a chapter called "Middle Earth" It showed a map of central Pangea from about 250 million years ago, it looked remarkably like Tolkien's map of Beleriand before the sundering. "I find this rather remarkable. Plate Tectonics was considered a fanciful theory when Tolkien created Middle Earth; there was _no way_ he could have known that the earth _did_ actually look like that at one time." I examined the maps, photos and read a bit from the chapter, then asked her which character from Tolkien's works she thought I would have been. She thought for a moment and said "If including all of his works Beren Erchamion, if using just "Lord of the Rings" Faramir, son of Denethor and Captain of Gondor. Both were very brave, fought many battles and suffered much in their lives, both were ridiculed and rejected, and in the end both found peace and achieved greatness and renown. Seeing as you asked the question, which ones would I have been?" I told her "That is rather amazing for I had long ago thought of this question and already knew my answers to who I thought you would be. Lúthien Tinúviel or Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of the Rohirrim..." I didn't get a chance to explain my reasoning for those choices because Robert had just come through the door to the patio.

We both looked towards him, untwined ourselves and I got up and pulled the other chaise over to where ours was and motioned him to take a seat. He looked refreshed and relaxed in black chinos, Ralph Lauren Rugby shirt and deck shoes. "Ah, I feel much better. This back garden is beautiful and the day is lovely, that breeze is quite nice-very relaxing!" I asked him what he would like to drink and he asked me if I had a good single malt on hand, I replied that we had a few and listed them off. He chose The Balvenie PortWood 21 year old. Katie grabbed her glass and got up "I'll get it, hun. You stay here and relax. Is there anything I can bring you to drink while I'm up?" I thought for a moment and said "Some of your Iced Tea would be fine." We both watched her as she went through the door to the kitchen. Robert chortled and said "I was just thinking of what you said in the car and thought to myself 'Well, there she is in the kitchen and barefoot, now all he has to do is get her pregnant!' When are you going to ask her to marry you? I am sorry but I had stood at the door for a few minutes before I came out here listening and watching you two and it is obvious to me that you were made for each other. She is a very good influence on you and you are a very good influence on her. Don't waste time Martin, _especially_ if you two want children-neither one of you are getting any younger!" I was dumbfounded! I thought about what he said and it took me a moment to collect my thoughts on it and replied "We have only known each other for a couple months but I do feel and know you are right. I just don't want to rush her." He looked at me, poked me in the shoulder to add punctuation to his words and said "_Don't_..._Waste_..._Time_..." The door opened and she was carrying a tray with two iced teas, a glass, the bottle of Balvenie and a small glass pitcher of spring water. She set the tray down and handed me my tea and grabbed hers and said "I didn't know how much you wanted so I just brought out the bottle and a glass..I also brought water if you cared to mix a bit in, I didn't think you would've wanted ice but if you do I will bring some." Robert replied "Thank you, you are a very gracious hostess!" He glanced at me, smiled with a twinkle in his eye and said "By the way, Martin has a question for you..." and sat back to watch, as Katie would put it, the 'floor show'.


	31. Chapter 31-The Floor Show

**_Chapter 31: The Floor Show_**

Katie sat down on the edge of the chaise "I might have an answer. Ask away!" I shot Robert a _really_ dirty look. With that she knew something was up and _it wasn't good_ so she tried to diffuse the situation "Can it wait until dinner? I should get that started. I asked Martin what your tastes are and have picked out a couple recipes that I hope you will enjoy. You two stay here and relax. Would you like some more tea, hun?" I replied "Yes, please." and handed her my glass. She walked over the grill in the summer kitchen and started it then went into the kitchen. "Robert, I really did _not_ appreciate being put on the spot like that. _I will ask her but in my own way and time._ She _knows_ I am angry about something and now she is in there wondering what I am so angry about." Robert poured some water into his glass and said "I should not have done that to you and I apologize but what I said to you still stands-_don't_ _waste_ _time_, especially with that one. She is used to being free as the wind and one day you just might wake up to find that her desire to go back to the wild places of the earth far outweighs her desire to stay in a big city shacked up with you. I overheard your discussion on characters from Tolkien, and in thinking about that you two did hit it close to the mark with the tale of Faramir and Éowyn. You _think about that_ while I go phone my wife and let her know I am here."

Robert got up and went inside and I sat there and thought about what he had said. I was lost in those thoughts when a gentle hand caressed my shoulder "What are you thinking about, my love?" I took her hand and kissed it "Faramir and Éowyn." She snuggled up to me putting her head on my chest "You never did get a chance to give me the reasons for your selections. Why did you pick Lúthien and Éowyn?" I stroked her hair and said "In thinking about it the comparison to Éowyn is more apt. You are a 'wild shieldmaiden of the north' and, like Éowyn, you fear to be caged. I wonder if I am unconsciously trying to put you in a cage in my love for you and my desire to keep you here by my side. I also fear that one day I will have to let you go back to the places and things you love at the ends of the earth and _I don't know if I can handle that."_ We were both quiet for a moment then she looked into my eyes and quoted from the tale of Faramir and Éowyn "_'I stand in Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun, and behold! The Shadow has departed! I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren."_ I kissed her brow, smiled and continued the passage _"I will wed with the White Lady of Rohan, if it be her will. And if she will, then let us cross the River and in happier days let us dwell in fair Ithilien and there make a garden. All things will grow with joy there, if the White Lady comes." _She laughed and continued on _"Then must I leave my own people, man of Gondor?' And would you have your proud folk say to you: "There goes a lord who tamed a wild shieldmaiden of the North! Was there no woman of the race of Numenor to choose?"_ I gently cupped her cheek and completed the passage _"I would." _We kissed a long and deep kiss.

We heard Robert clear his throat in a polite way of telling us he was back and we started laughing. She sat up and said to Robert "It's your turn now!" He had a surprised and somewhat frightened look on his face and said "For what?" I said "Your line is '_Here is the Lady Éowyn of Rohan, and now she is healed_.'" And Katie added "Pick up your cues faster, Robert! Sheesh..." Now he looked both confused and surprised and we started laughing harder. Katie wiped a tear from her eye and said "This ain't Ithilien, but it will do." Then she turned to me and said with a laugh "I'm _not_ wearing a big white poofy dress!" Then it finally dawned on him what had just transpired and a look of total surprise washed over his face "Oh, my god-you did it! _Well done, Ellingham_! Congratulations, you two!" We stood up and Robert shook my hand and hugged Katie and kissed her on the cheek "Tell me how you did it!" We recounted the story to him, he smiled and said "The tale of Faramir and Éowyn...Let me call my wife back before she goes to sleep, I _have_ to tell her about this!" and he went back into the house to call her. I looked at Katie and said "This will be all over London by morning; I can hear the jungle drums already tuning up...Ah, who _cares_? I don't anymore. This calls for a celebration, you feel like some Champagne? I think I could handle a glass tonight." She smiled and said "I think I can handle one, too. I'll go get it and some glasses, which one would you like?" "You choose, I'd better call Chris and my Aunt Ruth. I would rather have them hear about it from me then from the rumor mill. I'll have to tell Louisa, too, so we can figure out the best way to tell James Henry. That can wait until tomorrow, they are already asleep probably." Robert came out, phone in hand and said "She wants to talk to you, Martin." and handed me the phone. I walked into the house. Katie said to Robert "We were going to get out a bottle of Champagne, want to come help me pick one out?"

Robert followed her into the kitchen "This is very nice, let's see what you have." Katie pulled a couple bottles out of the wine cooler and set them on the island and was digging out an ice bucket "I think the Perrier Jouët 1999 Fleur de Champagne Blanc de Blancs would be an excellent choice, Katie" She put the others away and said "I agree, a special Champagne for a special occasion. I've always preferred the Perrier to Dom. Dom is a little yeasty for my tastes." She filled the bucket with ice and took down three Champagne flutes and started to polish them "Katie, this is the first chance I've had to talk to you privately. I have to ask you how much you _really_ know about Martin." "What are you referring to?" "Has he told you about his life before he moved here?" "Parts of it...It is _very painful_ for him and I am sure there are some things he will _never_ tell me about because they are just _too __horrible_. Sometimes he has really _bad_ nightmares...I am trying my best to help him let go of the pain and bad memories. He is a beautiful, loving, kind hearted man with a sensitive soul and a great sense of humor and it makes me _so angry_ the things that some people have done to him, especially his parents-that was _pure _child abuse! He could've been the way he is now and what he will be for all of his life instead of being shackled to the emotional and psychological baggage that kept him a prisoner for so long. It simply _amazes me_ that he managed to become who and what he is today carrying that burden and that is a testament to the sheer strength of his mind. Most people when carrying a load like the one he has borne kill themselves before they get out of their teens-or become hopeless alcoholics who drink themselves to death or drug addicts who overdose. Yes, I know that for someone like you he seems to have changed so much in such a short time and he will continue to change as he continues to let go of the horrors of his past. I _love_ him, and I am here to help him let go of it all and finally have peace of mind. Deep down inside he really is a big, playful, cuddly teddy bear-if you have ever seen him interact with his son you will have seen a glimpse of that. I will protect him if any try to hurt him again and heaven help anyone who crosses me! If I have to I will_ kill_ to protect him from harm and, if I have to, I will gladly give my life up and _die_ for him. _That_ is how _much_ I love him. He is my soul mate and I cherish him. You probably think that we are a very strange match-a surgeon in a long line of surgeons from British high society and some crazy American bush pilot whose best friend as a child was a Wolf but we really aren't-we are like two halves of a coin." Robert smiled at her "I am glad he moved here and grateful that he has you. I have watched him suffer for so long and there was little I could do to help except try to be there for him. You are right in your assessment of him and I am happy he is finally breaking free of the prison he had been locked up in for so long." Robert looked at her with a smile "As for you, shieldmaiden of Rohan, I am so _overjoyed_ he has finally found _his_ soul mate. Take good care of him!" "I will, of that you can be sure!"

Robert picked up the ice bucket with the Champagne and Katie grabbed the glasses and they headed out to the patio..."I know it is getting late over there Chris so I will let you go. I will call you tomorrow if I have a chance-I am observing and evaluating one of the intern's first solo surgery in the morning and a I have meeting to attend in the afternoon. I'll tell Robert that, talk to you later and good night!" I looked at them and said "Well, everyone important has been called except Louisa. Chris says "Hello!", Robert. Oh, I called Don and he is heading over so we're going to need another glass. Do we have enough food for one more?" she replied "Sure do! I have already done the preprep and it will take me about 45 minutes to cook everything so just let me know when to start dinner. I'll get another glass; you guys sit back and relax." As she was heading for the kitchen the doorbell rang and she called out "I'll get it!" and a minute later Don came out onto the patio, walked up to me and shook my hand "Congratulations, Martin! I am so glad you followed your Doctor's advice, when you aren't _playing_ 'Doctor' that is!" he laughed and turned to Robert, shook his hand and said "Hello, Robert! It is very good to see you again! It's been a long time." Robert said "It has been a long time! It seems that we have both given 'young' Dr. Ellingham the same advice and he has _wisely_ followed it. Now, what's all this about 'playing Doctor'?" Don laughed and told the tale; we were all laughing and Robert said "That is _too_ funny! He is right; you will _never _have a dull moment again in your life with her!" Katie walked onto the patio with the extra glass "What are you guys all laughing about?" Don said "I just told Robert that you have excellent phone answering skills." She laughed "Well, he _was_ teaching a course on basic anatomy at that time, mostly involving locating all the spots where I'm ticklish!" I reached over and tickled her; she started giggling and swatted my hand. "_Two_ can play that game, you know, and I am sure none of these esteemed gentlemen have ever heard _you_ giggle! Well, shall we get the party started?" I said "Wait one moment; I have to get something, be right back!"

They all had moved to the table and sat down while I was upstairs and they looked at me curiously when I returned carrying a small lacquer box. I sat down and said "I had planned on doing things a bit differently than the way it happened. This is for you." and I handed her the box. She sat down and examined it "What a beautiful Japanese lacquer box..." then she examined the contents of the box and thought for a while "Oh, my god...This was all designed as a puzzle, wasn't it?" I replied "Yes, have you figured it out?" she kissed me and said "Should I explain it to them?" "Yes, let's see if you came to the right conclusions."

"OK...The box is Japanese. I collect Japanese art. The box itself is beautiful but there is a message in the design-the Cranes...Cranes in Japanese lore are symbolic of long life, good luck and happy marriage"

"The contents of the box relates to birds also. Butterfingers are my favorite candy. Many male birds will offer their mates choice tidbits of their favorite foods. This is done not only to reinforce a pair bond but to build the females strength up so she has the energy to produce eggs."

She held up a small ziplock baggie that contained a stone then put it on the table for Robert and Don to examine.

"The stone is a _natural_ Alexandrite. It is my favorite gemstone and is also my birthstone. Gem quality Alexandrite's are _incredibly_ rare. The paper in the box is the provenance for the stone. This stone is from the Hematita mine in Brazil, those stones tend to be more bluish then other Alexandrites. Stones, pebbles in particular, are also used by birds to forge a pair bond. Birds that live in places with little vegetation will build a nest out of pebbles and small stones. The Pygoscelid branch of the Spheniscidae family is particularly noted for doing this. The male will bring his prospective mate pebbles as a 'down payment' on the nest, if she accepts them she also accepts him as her mate."

"The running theme of birds is obvious-they fly and so do I. Well, in the case of Penguins they do not fly through the air, they fly through water. The Penguins who use stones for nesting material are sub Antarctic and Antarctic species and I spent a lot of time in Antarctica. The question being posed by the box and its contents is a proposal of marriage." I nodded and said "You are correct." "Martin, you are a _magnificent_ man! This took a lot of thought, planning, research and knowledge on various subjects and of me. I am incredibly lucky for I have received, not one, but two of the _best proposals ever_ in one day!" Robert and Don looked at each other than us. They were speechless. The sky was turning a brilliant Parrish blue as the evening star was twinkling in the sky. The pool glowed in a sapphire shade from its lighting and the walkway lights turned on. She pulled the bottle out of the ice bucket and said "Let's get the party started!"

Dinner was delicious and all complimented her on it. We talked for hours. Sometime past 11pm Don went home and Robert went to bed. We cleaned up the kitchen, put the dishes in the dishwasher and went up to our bedroom and got ready for bed. She walked over to the nightstand on my side of the bed, took the box of condoms out of the drawer and threw them in the wastebasket, smiled at me and said "Like the old song says 'Throw out the hardwear, let's do it right'..."


	32. Chapter 32-PFC

**_Chapter 32: PFC_**

Morning light was dimly creeping through the windows as the alarm clock went off. "It's going to be a long day." I thought as got into the shower. Katie had been up long ago, she is flying one of the local TV stations helicopters until their pilot recovers from a nasty accident he was in. That might turn into a permanent position if his leg doesn't heal properly. I hope it does, not because I wish ill will on the other pilot but that would keep her here. She has already been contacted about doing some contract work in Canada and Russia over the summer.

I made mental notes on all I had to do today:

-Call Louisa: I would do this as soon as I got to the office and leave a message on her mobile telling her I needed to talk to her ASAP and _without_ James Henry knowing. I would be calling her when I knew she would be in class and her mobile would be off.

-Intern Observation and Evaluation: Shouldn't take more than 90 minutes to perform the procedure but seeing as it's his first solo surgery, I allotted 3 hours. It always takes them a bit longer to perform it and I would be giving him my critique afterwards. Claire generally handles all the interns and residents but I like to observe their first solo's-you can tell a lot about their character by doing so.

-Paperwork: Ugh...Budget is due soon.

-Lunch and Skype: Robert will be at his conference and will be having lunch with them. Then one of the highlights of my day, talking to James Henry. He was sick last week, he had come down with a case of Tonsillitis so we didn't talk for long and I did most of the talking when we did. He was happy that he got to eat a lot of Ice Cream. I asked Louisa about the situation and it seems that George had things well in hand. I emailed George and he sent me a copy of his notes concerning it. I am glad Chris found such a capable replacement for me.

-Budget Meeting: Ugh...It should be a short one though. If Louisa calls during that time I will excuse myself due to a 'family emergency". There won't be anything important covered in it, it is basically a weekly progress and planning meeting.

-Chris: Sometime between my meeting and when Robert's conference breaks up for the day I would have to call him back as I had promised.

-Robert: His conference will be breaking up something around 5pm and he is coming over for a tour of the facility and meeting some of the people I work with.

-Dinner: At 7pm Robert, Don, Foghorn and I will be going to dinner with some colleagues and old friends who are attending the conference. We are going to Tony's so it will probably be a long one. Katie would probably be asleep by the time we get home, she has to get up at 4am to be in the air by 6am.

Sometime during the day I have to either call or email my jeweler in London to arrange a time when Katie and I could talk to him about a setting for the stone and wedding bands. Don and Robert had wondered why I had not put the stone in a ring. I explained the whole thing was designed to be a puzzle and a ring would be a _dead giveaway_. Besides, she should be the one to pick out the metal used and the setting for it.

I picked out a black suit, white shirt and red tie and put them on, thinking that it would be more appropriate for the dinner I would be attending later, grabbed my square silver Oxford cufflinks and headed downstairs. I was preparing breakfast as Robert walked into the kitchen "Good Morning, Martin!" I replied "Good Morning, Robert, I hope you slept well! What would you like to have for breakfast?" He said he would have whatever I was having so I prepared that and we sat down to eat. We discussed the events of yesterday and our plans for today. He asked with a twinkle in his eye and a slight smile on his face "Where's Katie? Sleeping in?" I walked over to the TV and turned it on "Wait for it." fully expecting there to be little more than then the regular morning traffic report with travel times, traffic jams and the usual overturned lorry somewhere. The anchorman said "...And now we go to a live update from Newsbird on the explosion and fire at the Phillips plant in Pasadena. Keith, how are things going?" The scene looked _bad_-it was a large fire and small explosions. The reporter recapped what had happened so far and reported what was currently going on and answered some questions from the anchorman. As he was doing so there was a very _large_ explosion-fire engulfed the entire screen and bits of debris were flying through the air. The helicopter was buffeted by the wind generated by the explosion as it tried to veer off. The reporter exclaimed "Oh my god..." and the signal from the helicopter broke up and was lost.

Robert looked at me and asked quietly "Is she flying that helicopter?" I nodded. That was all I could do, my heart was racing and my mouth had turned into a desert.

They went back to the anchorpeople and I could tell by the look in their eyes they were worried. The anchorwoman said "We are now going to Pam Nimitz on the ground in Pasadena for a report." The scene was of chaos, smoke and fire-this was shaping up to be a major disaster! "This will be a short report, Laura, we have been ordered to move back by the police. As you saw a couple of minutes ago in Keith's report there was a very large explosion. Debris has been raining down here; we were almost hit by a large chunk of metal!" The camera panned over to show the smoldering, warped metal on the ground near the news crew's van. "The last report we had on the fire said that they almost had it under control, apparently something went very, _very_ wrong. The authorities are too busy dealing with the situation to give us an update and I understand that given what is happening. I can only imagine how many firefighters and rescue personnel were near that when it blew. Newsbird was in the area, as you know they were requested to go near the fire to provide an additional video feed to assist the authorities in assessing the situation. We don't know what happened to them or the police helicopter that was also in the area." As she was saying that a police officer walked up to her "Ma'am, you people need to get out of here **_NOW_**!"

My phone rang, it was Foghorn "Martin, TMC is initiating level one disaster protocol. I have recalled all personnel to the hospital and I need you in here ASAP." I replied "OK, I am on my way." Robert grabbed his briefcase; we ran to the car and drove off "This is going to be one _hell_ of a day for you, Martin-lots of blunt force and shrapnel wounds, smoke inhalation damage from the chemicals and burns. If you need an extra hand call me." I replied "Will do. I will have Foghorn grant you privileges and tell Justine to call you if you are needed. I will probably be too busy to do it myself. Oh...here is a spare key to the house in case you need it, the alarm code is 5748."

I pulled into my parking space and parked the car. As we entered the building I said "Follow me to the skyway-that will take you over to where the conference is being held. Just follow the maps and you will get there without problems." When we reached the skyway Robert put a hand on my shoulder and said "I will see you later tonight hopefully. Don't worry about her, if she is half the pilot you have told me she is she will be OK." I replied "Thanks, I hope she will be...I just pray I don't see her in the ER or on an operating table. I have to put that out of my mind and concentrate on the tasks at hand. See you later, Robert!" He walked down the skyway and I ran to my office.

Justine was giving me a report on the situation through the door as I was changing into my scrubs and clogs. It was bad but it sounded like everything was going smoothly considering the situation. Triage was going well. I asked Justine to call Louisa and leave her a message for me "Please explain the situation here. Tell her that I am OK but will be too busy to talk to James Henry tonight. Also tell her that I need to talk to her _privately_ ASAP and ask her if she would leave me voicemail or text me a good time to do so." Justine replied "Oh! I almost forgot about that! Don said you had gotten engaged yesterday. Congratulations! Katie is a _fine woman_ and she is _good for you_! I know she makes me laugh, she is _so_ funny- I also know she loves you _very much_, too!" I opened the door, looked at Justine and said with a bit of tremble in my voice "She was flying Newsbird this morning..." Justine gasped and said "Oh my god, Doctor Ellingham! I will monitor the TV and if I hear _anything_ I will get ahold of you!" I composed myself and replied "Thank you, Justine, I would appreciate that." ran out of my office and down to the ER.

The scene in the ER was tightly controlled bedlam. I now understood what Foghorn had said about Karl when I first arrived here "There is no one better at massive trauma situations than that boy-all those years in the Army gave him plenty of experience in dealing with them." I saw Foghorn at the nurses' station and reported in "I'm not going to say good morning to you Martin because it certainly isn't one, that is for sure! We are going to busier than a one legged man at an ass kicking contest soon. Seeing as this is your 'first Rodeo' I will give you the drill."

"All elective and non-emergent surgeries have been pushed back or cancelled. Karl and his chief attending are running triage; department heads consult on patients that are brought in. You then assign your people to those patients depending on the injuries sustained and the level of surgical expertise needed. If you have to jump in on something do so, but let me know that you are so I won't be running around looking for you. On your tablet you can access everything from here-location of personnel, operating room status, lab reports, diagnostic scan reports, patient status, other hospital functions, etc. Right now we are waiting for the big wave to come in-they are just starting to pull out the people they can get to from that really big explosion. Damn, this is going to be an ugly day! Oh, by the way, congratulations! Don told me all about it. That puzzle you designed to pop the question was _sheer_ genius!" I replied "Thank you! She really enjoyed that. I am worried about her, though...she was flying Newsbird this morning..." Foghorn looked away for a moment then looked at me "Damn, that is isn't good! On the 'bright side', if there is one, no one has reported that those two helicopters crashed, they just don't know where they are at-maybe they set down somewhere and have no way to communicate, its chaos out there. I'm _not_ going to tell you not to worry, Martin, you have to think positively. She is a good pilot, remember that..."

Just as he was finishing that statement the first wave of ambulances arrived and we went into action. It was bad but triage was going smoothly. There were many shrapnel wounds so I did have to 'jump in' on a couple of surgeries.

Sometime after 2 pm, as things were starting to calm down a bit, I was standing at the nurses' station having a cup of coffee and reviewing the current status of my department's patients on my tablet. Things were going rather smoothly all things considered-Claire was doing an excellent job. Foghorn came over to me "Martin, she is alive! I checked the master triage list for all the local hospitals and she is not listed as being admitted to any of them. They had sustained some damage to the chopper and had to make an emergency landing in a field nearby. With all the smoke and chaos no one saw them go down and they had to walk out. The Police helicopter crashed-no survivors.

About five minutes later I received a message from Justine. She had been recording the coverage and edited out a clip of the story and sent it to my tablet, it was an interview with the reporter that had been on the helicopter. We watched it "I've been doing this for 25 years and have been in a lot of helicopters over that time in all conditions. What our pilot did during and immediately after that explosion was the best piece of flying I have ever seen! The damage we sustained was bad and we should have crashed-she managed to keep it together long enough to get us on the ground in one piece. It wasn't pretty, but we walked away from it. The pilot also insisted that we have goggles, portable bottled air and breathing apparatuses on hand during the flight; she has flown a lot of oilfield operations and knew that they might come in handy and they did. If it weren't for that both of us would probably be in hospital from breathing or being blinded by the poisonous smoke that we had to walk through. Instead of being dead or in the hospital, we walked away with a few cuts, scrapes and bruises." The anchorman asked where the pilot was now "She is filing an incident report with the FAA and the police, she is also arranging for the helicopter to be removed from the field where we landed. It is no longer airworthy."

I was relieved!

By 4pm things had settled down enough that I could go back to my office for a bit. I was just about to leave the ER and head for it when a soot covered, exhausted looking and somewhat bedraggled woman limped through the ER doors. It was her! Karl and I ran over to her and she held out her arms to stop us from touching her "I'm OK...I just feel like I have been beaten repeatedly with a Baseball bat! Don't touch me...I am covered in god knows what was burning down there and don't want to get any on you. I just wanted to come down here and tell you I was all right. My phone got damaged and doesn't work anymore..." I looked at her, trying to contain my concern and remain professional, and said "Have you been examined by a Doctor? You may have sustained internal injuries that are not apparent and who knows what kinds of chemicals you may have ingested or have on your skin." She smiled wanly and said "I haven't had time to yet; I had to deal with the FAA, be interviewed by the police and arrange to get that bucket of PFC hauled away." I was puzzled "PFC?" She laughed and said "Pasadena Fried Chopper."

Everyone around that heard that started laughing as Karl escorted her to one of the exam tables. She started to protest but was being rather half-hearted about it, finally she laid down and said "God...I hate Doctors...they are _so_ _pushy_!" Karl laughed and said "Why are you going to marry one then?" "Because he gives a really good pel..." I could feel my face turning various shades of red, covered her mouth with my hand and said "Shut up!" She was giggling underneath my hand. Karl looked at me, shot an eyebrow up and laughed, and then he said in an official tone "Martin, I hate to say this but it would be inappropriate for you to participate in the examination of this patient. She is your fiancée. You may observe and lend support to her if you wish. Now, if you will kindly remove your hand from her mouth I will begin the examination."

I held her hand and, remarkably for her, she kept quiet while being examined-only answering questions as they were asked. Karl examined her thoroughly and issued his diagnosis "She is not presenting any symptoms or other signs of internal injury, nor does she appear to have sustained damage from the toxins in the smoke. BP and heart rates are within normal parameters. Neck and spine check out OK. Is not showing any indication of bone breakage or other damage. I will have a blood and urine tests run to see if any toxins from the chemicals have been absorbed through her skin and check for other factors." she smiled and said "Oh, Joy! I get to pee in a cup!" Karl chuckled, looked at me and asked "Is she always like this?" I replied "Actually she has been keeping rather quiet during your examination. I was expecting a running commentary." She smiled and batted her eyelashes at us "I'm trying to be polite and let the nice Doctor do his job so I can go home and let the nice Doctor do his job." Karl shot his eyebrow up again, smiled and continued "She has minor cuts, scrapes and contusions and is experiencing muscle stiffness and pain consistent with what would be expected in an incident of the nature she was involved in. I do not recommend that she be admitted. I know you have a whirlpool tub in your house; I recommend a shower to wash off the dirt and soot followed by a long whirlpool bath then sleep. Tylenol for pain if needed." He handed her a sample cup and said "Go pee in that and when you come back we'll draw a blood sample. If anything turns up I will give you a call, Martin."

Her muscles had started to stiffen up from lying down so I helped her down to the Ladies room. I was standing outside it waiting for her as Robert, Don and Foghorn came down the hall. Don asked "How is she?" I replied, "Just banged up and sore. I won't be able to go to dinner with you tonight, I'd best stay at home and keep an eye on her." Robert said "We thought that might be the case and is totally understandable. You will be missed." I was about to reply when she limped out of the door with the cup and said. "Hi, guys! I know I look like I have been through a blender and smell like a charcoal briquette. Any landing you can walk away from is a good one!." I took her arm to support her and started heading back to the ER "I have to get her back to Karl so he can get the blood work started." They walked along with us as she recounted to them what had occurred. It was time for them to go off to Tony's so they said their goodbyes and left. I went to go get the car while she stayed in the ER to have her blood drawn.

We went home. By the time we got there she was so stiff and sore that I carried her upstairs to the bedroom. I helped her undress and I undressed so I could help her in the shower. She toweled off and wrapped herself up in her robe while I prepared the bath, the adrenaline rush was over and she was exhausted and quiet. I sat with her in the tub to keep an eye on her and help when needed. Her muscles started to relax and I could see the look of pain starting to disappear from her face. After about an hour she said she wanted to go to bed so I helped her out of the tub, dry off and into bed. She was asleep within five minutes.

As I watched her sleep I thought to myself "Maybe her flying a TV news chopper isn't such a great idea after all..."


	33. Chapter 33-Early Morning Phone Call

**_Chapter 33: Early Morning Phone Call_**

It was still dark out when I woke up; the alarm clock said 4:17am. I had gone to sleep shortly after Katie did and hadn't checked to see if I had received a message from Louisa, during the events of yesterday I had totally forgotten about that. I looked and there was a voicemail from her "Hello, Martin." came the familiar Cornish burr from the earpiece "I received a message from your administrative assistant today, thank god you are alright! We heard about what happened here, it was all over the news- they kept on running that video from that helicopter with all the flames over and over. Justine is a wise woman, she sent two messages-the first described what was happening and that you were OK but wouldn't be able to talk to James tonight and the second was that you needed to speak to me privately. The first message was worded in such a way that I could tell she had done so for James's ears. I played it for James, he had heard about what happened at school and was scared and the message comforted him. He was very proud that his daddy 'was helping all the firefighters who got hurt', though he was afraid that 'daddy's friend Katie' might have been flying that helicopter-I told him that she doesn't fly that kind. As to your second message I can talk over my lunch break or after James goes to sleep-privacy in a house with five children is a bit hard to come by as you can well imagine. Well, I have to go-talk to you tomorrow. Goodbye."

I had two other messages. There was a message from Karl letting me know that her blood and urine tests came back clean. There was also a message from Foghorn telling me to stay home today to take care of Katie "You have your department running like a Swiss watch, you're not on the board for any procedures and I suspect that woman of yours won't stay put and rest unless you are sitting on her." He knows her well. I checked the OR schedule and Claire had rescheduled Dr. Henderson's first solo surgery for 9am so I will go in and observe and evaluate that. I also have to remember to bring the suit I wore yesterday home.

I looked over at her, she hadn't budged all night. I listened to her breathing and took her pulse-all normal for her. Her face was relaxed so she wasn't in too much pain. I thought she is probably dehydrated and will be hungry when she woke up, though. I gently slid out of bed, trying not to wake her. I would call Louisa during her lunch break and that would start in about a half an hour so I had time to shower and shave. That done I put fresh pajama bottoms and my robe on, grabbed my phone and headed downstairs. I had enough time to make an espresso; I was going to need it for this phone call. Settling into my chair in the office I hit her number on the dialer. It rang.

_"Hello Martin!"_

"Good Afternoon, Louisa! I hope your day has been going well for you."

_"Actually it has, so far. Is everything alright over there? The video they showed on the TV looked scary. They said 27 people died in that explosion."_

"Yes, and it was bad-a lot of shrapnel wounds. All in all it went rather smoothly, the TMC and local hospitals have a very sound emergency plan."

_"So...what is it that you need to talk about in private? I'm not trying to rush you or anything but you know how things go around here, someone will want me for something and whatever it is you need to talk about must be important."_

"Right. OK...I'm just going to come straight out with it. Louisa, I have asked Katie to marry me and she has agreed. You told me on the plane the day I left that _'one day, when I least expected it, I would find my soul mate' _When you said that I didn't really believe that would ever happen but it did. You are a wise woman, Louisa.

I asked her Sunday so we have no plans set up yet. We didn't get a chance to talk with all that happened yesterday. By the way, she _was_ the one flying the TV news helicopter that crashed. It didn't really crash, it was severely damaged and she barely managed to land it. She is OK, just banged up and sore. She is sleeping right now."

Anyway, I need to ask your advice and coordinate with you on how to best tell James Henry."

_"OH, MARTIN! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! Really, I am! You are a good man and, from the few times I have talked to her, Katie is a very nice person and, more importantly, seems to be very __good__ for you. James already loves her, too, you know. That day when you put her on Skype to answer his questions about Penguins and she sent him all those pictures and videos of Penguins and all the other animals she has seen he told me later that 'Daddy's friend Katie is the coolest person in the world!' Now...as far as the best way to tell him...I think that perhaps the best way would be when he comes to visit in a couple of weeks. Don't tell him straightaway, give him a couple of days to get used to her and you two being together. If he asks you on his own if you two are going to get married answer him honestly. Personally I think he will be overjoyed. He really likes her and he will be happy that 'daddy won't be alone anymore'." _

"That is the way I thought would be best to handle it, too, but wanted to check with you first. Well, that's sorted. How are things going with you?"

_"Good. We have been going through our stuff and sorting out what we will take with us and either donating or binning the rest. We will be moving August 1__st__ just so you know. I have already sent you our new address, our phone numbers will remain the same. James is getting along well with his new siblings and is, all in all, quite a happy little boy. He is a bit sad to be moving away and that is only natural-Port Wenn is the only home he has known. But, on the bright side, he is excited to be moving because 'maybe I will find a friend like Katie a new place like daddy did when he moved away.' I laughed to myself when he said that thinking 'new friends are good, but I don't want to be a grandmother __that__ soon! If he is __anything__ like his father all he going to have to do is look at them and BOOM! Instant grandmother!' Are you two planning on having children or haven't you discussed that yet?"_

"We have discussed it and we are going to try. From a medical standpoint she is a bit old to but in her family history almost all the women had children well into their forties, her mother was 44 when she had Katie and she is younger than that. Probably won't happen though, and we have discussed that possibility, too. Her attitude is 'If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't it wasn't meant to be. There is no use in getting upset or being sad about things we can't control.'"

_"[laughter] You are robbing the cradle a bit with that one, aren't you?"_

"[laughter] I robbed the cradle a bit with _you_, too!"

_"[laughter] Touché! Well, I'd better get going so I can eat my lunch before class starts. I am __so__ overjoyed for you, Martin, and I look forward to meeting Katie in person. You will be here in a couple weeks to pick James up for the half term so I will see you then."_

"That reminds me...I had planned on bringing her along to come get him and wanted to ask your thoughts on that. I will be arriving in London a couple days before I pick him up. I need to get fitted for some new suits and I have other business to attend to there so I thought that might make a nice holiday for her, too. Last time she was in London was about 10 years ago. Do you think that will be a problem?"

_"Not at all! Anyway, I really have to go, see you soon, Martin!"_

"Yes, see you soon. Goodbye, Louisa.

_"Goodbye, Martin."_


	34. Chapter 34-You Win!

**_Chapter 34:"You Win"_**

Our flight was due to arrive at Heathrow at 7:20am. So far everything had gone smoothly considering how air travel can be, except for some (to my mind) rather severe turbulence. Katie slept right through it but it woke me up, if there is one thing I have learned about this woman is that when she sleeps, she _sleeps_. I was looking out the window at the night and thought about all that had transpired over the last few weeks and what we had to do in London before heading to Cornwall to pick up James Henry. The rest of Robert's visit went smoothly and we had a good time, the group that I was supposed to have dinner with on the Monday of the explosion had decided to get together again the next night so I could attend. It was good talking with them about old times and the future. The most memorable thing that occurred during those weeks is that Katie and I had our first big row.

After the events of the day of the explosion I decided to tell her exactly how I felt about her flying activities. Not knowing much about the subject I did some research into the types of flying she does because to her they are 'no big deal', 'no more dangerous than flying a commercial airliner' etc. and I had suspected that she was minimizing the risk. She was. The death rate for pilots in her specialty is _astronomical_-not only do they crash a _lot_ but are areas they fly into are dangerous with many killings and kidnappings.

I mentally prepared myself for a gigantic row with the possibility that she would walk out on me but I had to get this off my chest. The interesting thing about our row was that it was more of a very heated intellectual discussion instead of the illogical, emotionally packed, tear shedding, door slamming, anger and accusation filled, flame throwing rows that Louisa and I had towards the end. I told her flat out that if we were going to be married she needed to rethink her occupation. I had no problems with her continuing to fly, just find a safer way to do so-one that preferably did not involve her being gone for weeks at a time. I pointed out to her that if we did have children that she would no longer be able to do those kinds of activities anyway and asked if she had given any real thought to that. I also said that those hours that she was 'missing' on that Monday were some of the worst in my life and I did not want to go through that again. She argued for, I argued against. We went round and round-I'd knock down her premises and she would knock down mine. It was interesting because the angrier she got instead of yelling her speech became low, concise and almost cold but her eyes were afire with anger. At one point she said that she was going to go outside to "Cool down before I say something I'm gonna _really_ regret!" and went to the far edge of the garden and sat staring at the pool for almost an hour. When she came back she looked as angry as she had when she had left and I was mentally preparing for the worst. Then she smiled and said '"You Win! Now how about a spot of 'make up sex'? and laughed. I was _not_ prepared for that, I was ready for round two of the argument.

We made a deal. She would seek safer employment but that she did need to do one thing that would involve her being gone for about a month. She had promised her brother to train his pilots in high altitude flight operations at Coronation Bay in the Canadian high Arctic. Her brother John had gone into corporate aviation and was currently CFO for one of the richest men in the world. As she put it "I have no idea why his boss wants a bunch of soft corporate jet jockeys and helicopter pilots to learn high latitude prop operations but he does. John has never flown in the kind of stuff I have and knows I would be the best one to teach them. I can teach these guys how not to become a big red spot in the snow. This will be easy-it will be in summer, instead of log runways or landing on ice it will be ground landings. I just got to teach a bunch of softies how to fly _way out_ of their comfort zone."

She did find alternative employment. She will be flying for a man named Danny Jackson who, I found out later, is the man who owns the jet that I flew on last year when interviewing for the job. She said that he reminds her of her father-a big, brash, funny, no nonsense kind of guy, likes him and thinks it will be a fun job. She will have to get certified to fly the helicopter he had ordered-an MD600N which will involve three weeks of training in Dallas but she will be home on the weekends.

Well, that's sorted and I feel much better about everything.

The rosy glow of dawn was starting to creep along the horizon and I saw land beneath me. England. I woke Katie up and we prepared to land. Arriving at Heathrow went smoothly for once, though I did have to wait for a bit until she cleared customs, and we were on our way to the Dorchester by 8am. I had booked the Terrace Suite for us and once we showered and got settled I ordered breakfast while we reviewed the tasks for today and tomorrow. I had an appointment at 2pm at Gieves & Hawkes to have measurements taken for new suits and to select the materials, etc. I had brought along the suits I needed adjusted and those would be ready when I brought James Henry back, the new suits would be shipped to me when they were finished. While I was doing that Katie went over to Liberty bought some fabric for her sister. Her sister loves to sew and is very good at it. Afterwards we had decided that we would just go where our feet (and the tube) took us until the jet lag kicked in and wanted to go back to the hotel. Once there we ordered dinner, relaxed and enjoyed _all_ the amenities of the suite well into the night.

The next day, after sleeping in and a leisurely breakfast, we went to my jewelers to pick up her ring and the wedding bands and check they fit properly. I had sent him the gem and the provenance for it, described her tastes and asked him to come up with some designs for her to look at. She liked them all but finally chose a Georgian style bezel setting bordered by bright white diamond baguettes in Platinum, the very edge of the bezel around the stone was an exceptionally thin band of yellow gold. It was beautiful. We did have a bit of a row over the wedding bands, she insisted that she pay for them saying "You have a generous heart and are a very traditional man in many aspects. I don't want you to be upset but I have a _pretty good idea_ how much that Alexandrite cost and the settings you had designed for it aren't exactly $1.98, either. The least I can do is buy the bands and pay for the engraving." On that one I said "You Win!" because I knew that would make her feel better.

Afterwards we briefly stopped by my solicitor's office so I could sign the new support agreements I had made with Louisa. Then we decided to do what we did the day before and go where our feet took us and they took us to a little bistro we found on the way for lunch and a leisurely afternoon at the British Museum. I had not spent any real time in there since I was a child and found it quite pleasurable being there with her-her knowledge of ancient history meshed well with my knowledge of European and British history and we discussed and taught each other while viewing the assorted collections. I made a fantastic discovery during that afternoon. I would translate the Greek and Latin inscriptions on various items for her, when we got to the Egyptian collection she translated the hieroglyphs for me and if we ran across any Arabic she would translate those, too. I had no idea and asked her how many languages she knew and she said "American English, Italian, Japanese, Arabic and Sindarian-I can read and translate Hieroglyphs but can't speak the language. I learned Italian from my family, Arabic in college and Japanese and Sindarian in Antarctica. You gotta have something to keep your mind occupied or you get pretty toasty after a while down there." I asked why Sindarian and she said "It is a language that few know and sometimes it is _very good_ to have a language that you can speak or write in and know that no one else around you understands it, if you get my drift. Keep your inflections and your tone flat and you can say _anything_ and get away with it."

Later that evening we went over to Robert's home for dinner. They originally wanted to take us out to dinner at a very fashionable restaurant but I had told Robert about her scarring and that anything somewhat 'dressy' would make her very anxious and rather uncomfortable. Floor length gowns are not really fashionable or acceptable for anything outside a very formal occasion and she is very hesitant to show her legs in public. Robert asked how bad they were and I said bad enough for me to understand her discomfort with it. Robert's wife Fiona is a true high society Doctor's wife and can be a real snob at times so I was somewhat concerned that they might not hit it off but they did. We had an excellent time with them, dinner was delicious and the conversation interesting. We said our goodnights sometime after 11pm, we had to get up early to catch the train from Paddington to Bodmin Parkway in the morning and then on to Port Wenn.

It would be interesting to see how things went there, not so much with Louisa and James Henry but the reaction of the villagers. I had filled Katie in on the them and warned her about the situation and she said she was ready...


	35. Chapter 35-Way Back Wenn

**_Chapter 35: Way Back Wenn_**

Our timetable for next two days was going to be a rather hectic one:

-Up by 6am (or as Katie put it, oh yawn hundred)

-Train departs Paddington at 9:06am/arrives Bodmin Parkway 1:18pm _if_ there are no delays. There had better _not_ be or someone just might be on the receiving end of a 'patented Martin Ellingham nuclear rant'.

-Pick up rental car at station. Rented a Merc C class. It had better _be_ there or someone just might be on the receiving end of a 'patented Martin Ellingham nuclear rant'.

-Drive to Port Wenn. Am hoping we will get there in plenty of time to meet everyone as they get out of school. Will speed if I have to, I am not too worried about getting ticketed, except for the fact that it will slow us down. Texas doesn't give a _damn_ about UK speeding tickets. I _like_ it!

-Spend a bit of time with Stephan and Louisa and their family. Louisa said that James Henry has had everything packed and ready to go for a week. We will spend more time with them when we bring him back.

-Drive back to Bodmin Parkway. Train departs at 6:01pm/arrives Paddington 9:21pm. I know this might be cutting it close but this train will get us back to the hotel at a reasonable hour for James Henry. He is probably going to want to stay up late, he is very excited. It is his first trip to London, his first airplane ride, his first big trip, etc.

-Sleep...

-Wake up by 8am to be ready and at Heathrow by noon. Traffic shouldn't be too bad because it is a Saturday.

-Flight leaves Heathrow at 2:30pm/arrives IAH at 6:40pm. We have first class sleepers so he can sleep on the way comfortably.

Right out of the gate we stumbled. We woke up at 7am instead of 6. We made up some time by 'showering with a friend', ate a quick breakfast then off to Paddington. Got there just in time to board the train and then relaxed and napped for the next couple hours as the English countryside passed by.

The train was on time into Bodmin Parkway and the car was waiting at the station for us. So far, so good. There were no cows, sheep or other large creatures on the road so we made excellent time and arrived about 2:15pm. Having some time to spare we walked up to the surgery so Katie could see it. When I walked in the door I heard Morwenna scream "Ohmigawd! It's Doc Martin!" and was almost instantaneously hugged by her.

The commotion in the waiting room brought George out from a consultation, I was somewhat embarrassed by this but Katie just stood back and 'enjoyed the floor show'. George came up, greeted me and shook my hand "Welcome back, Doctor Ellingham! Everyone in the village knew that you were coming back to pick up James today, he has talked of _nothing else_ for the last month. By the way, brilliant job that TMC did during that disaster. There was a write up on the triage system used by Methodist in the latest BMJ. Very efficient! They had a photo of you and some other doctors in the ER in it. We all saw the video on the news and were worried, that video from that helicopter that crashed was especially dramatic, too bad they died getting it." I replied "The ones who died were in the police helicopter, the pilot of the TV news helicopter managed to set it down and they walked away from it. Still, it was a very bad day-we had a lot of shrapnel wounds to deal with."

George noticed the stranger in the dark green shirt and jeans leaning against the wall "I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't see you there. Are you in need of assistance?" Katie smiled and replied "No sir. I'm just visiting." The American accent immediately drew everyone's attention. "She is with me, George. This is the person who was flying that TV news helicopter." I was just about to introduce her when Morwenna piped up in a playful voice "So _this_ must be _'daddy's friend Katie'_ that James has been talking about, the one that is going to take him for a helicopter ride." So much for subtlety, I had forgotten how everyone knows everyone else's business here. The proverbial cat has been let out of the proverbial bag. "Yes." and I proceeded to introduce her to everyone. After the introductions I said to George, "We have a few minutes before we have to go down to the school, is it alright if I show her around? I wanted to show her where I used to work." George replied "Be our guest, Martin!, I'd better get back to my consultation before everything gets backed up. I guess I will see you later!" he turned and went back to the consultation room. I gave her a quick tour and I could feel the eyes on us as we did. She looked at the door frame leading to the hallway between the waiting room and the consultation room and asked "How many times a day did you bang your head on that?" I looked at her and said "Too many to count." In the background I heard Morwenna whispering to someone "Look at that ring, its beautiful! I've never seen one like that before. Is that a sapphire?" I heard that and thought of a 'Katieism"-Horse...Barn...Gone...

We quickly wrapped up our tour of the surgery then headed towards the school. As we walked I could tell that the jungle drums had spread the news like a bushfire because people who normally wouldn't be out on the street were and they made a point in greeting me and welcoming me back. I told Katie sotto voce in between well-wishers "They are playing 'go fish', I heard Morwenna whispering in the surgery about your ring." She replied with a smile "I know, I heard her too. Is no big deal unless we make it one. I'm just going to play it cool." We finally made it to the school about five minutes before it let out for the day. Katie said "I'm just going to stand over there and wait for you. This is _your_ time; I need not be in the way." I looked at her, thought 'Frankly, I don't give a damn anymore' and kissed her lightly then went over to the gate to wait.

The children ran out of the school like it was on fire, which is what usually happens when school lets out. Louisa had informed me that James Henry likes to be called James now so I was going to try to call him what he prefers. I looked hard trying to see him among the milling schoolchildren. I heard him before I saw him "Daddy!" and saw a blond-haired rocket shooting straight for me. I crouched down and he jumped into my arms and we hugged and he kissed me "Oh, Daddy! I love you! I missed you _so much_!" I hugged him tightly, kissed him and said "I love you and have missed you _so much_, too!" I stood up and held him up in the air "Whee! I feel like I'm flying high like a bird!" then I brought him down, tousled his hair and carried him in my arms. I saw Louisa and Stephan with his children across the play yard and walked towards them. I shook hands with Stephan and said "Hello, Stephan! It is so good to see you again! How are you today?" he smiled and replied "It is so nice to see you again, Martin! I am doing well, thank you! It looks like life in Houston is treating you well!" "It is." I turned towards Louisa "Hello, Louisa..." then I noticed it "You're pregnant! Congratulations!" and kissed her lightly on the cheek "I am so happy for you!" She replied "Thank you, Martin! Yes, we were a bit surprised by it but are very happy! We just told the children last night-it was becoming obvious and they were asking questions." I shook Stephan's hand again and said "Congratulations!" I greeted his children and shook their hands and they all smiled and politely greeted me then Brian, the oldest of the bunch, asked if they could go play for a bit while 'the grownups talked' and they said that they could. I asked James if he wanted to go play too and he said yes so I set him down and he went off with the others.

I looked over at Katie and she was smiling and taking in the scene, I waved at her to come over and she started walking towards us. I caught a glimpse of the expression on Stephan's face as she walked, it was one of appreciation. I don't think she has a _clue_ as to how subtly sexy she is... She came up to us and I said "May I introduce you to my fiancée. Katie, this is Louisa Melbury and her husband Stephan Melbury. Katie shook Stephan's hand "I am so pleased to meet you! I have heard so much about you!" then she shook Louisa's hand "It is wonderful to finally meet you in person and congratulations!" Louisa said "I am so pleased to meet you and congratulations to you too! What a beautiful ring! I am so happy for both of you!" We all sat down at one of the tables and talked while the children played. I had been rather apprehensive about this first meeting but that all melted away after five minutes. I could tell that Louisa and Stephan both really liked her. After ten minutes we were all talking like old friends.

Eventually James noticed the extra adult in the group and ran towards us. He stopped and looked, thought for a moment then yelled "KATIE!" She turned around and said "Hello, James! I am so happy to finally see you in person! My, you are a big boy!" James ran to her and gave her a big hug and she hugged him back then she motioned for him to sit down next to her "I brought you something..." He sat down and looked at her as she pulled a small plastic baggie out of her purse. In it were five small feathers. "Since you asked me about all the animals I have seen I thought I would bring you _treasure_ from the Southern Hemisphere. The smaller dark feather is from an Adélie penguin who lives on Ross Island at the Cape Crozier rookery, the larger dark feather is from an Emperor penguin from the Cape Washington colony in the Ross Sea. The long orange one is from a Royal penguin that only lives on Macquarie Island south of New Zealand. The white one is from a Gentoo penguin that lives on the Falkland Islands. The grey one is from a Wandering Albatross that sailed with me through the Scotia Sea." His eyes lit up in wonder "WOW! Thank you so much! Is it alright if I show the others?" she replied "Most certainly!" he gave her a big hug and kissed her on the cheek then ran off to show the others.

We all smiled at this exchange and after he had run over to show his brothers and sisters the feathers Louisa laughed and said "You made his day! He will probably sleep with them!" Katie smiled and said "I thought he might like it and I have baggies of the same feathers for the rest of the children if they would want them. Don't want them to feel left out; I know how kids can be. Just so you know they have all been washed and sanitized, the dirty little secret about penguins is that they are pretty stinky birds! A chicken coop smells like a rose bed compared to a penguin colony!" I called James to come back over to us, he came running back "Yes, daddy?" Katie handed him the baggies and said "These are for your brothers and sisters so they don't feel left out. They are all the same feathers that you have. They are _your_ gift to them." James smiled and said "REALLY! Oh, this is so cool! Thank you so much!" and hugged her. She hugged him back and replied "You are most welcome!"

It was getting close to the time we had to leave so Stephan and I went to transfer James's luggage to our car. We talked a bit about various things, including the baby on the way. He is discovering that Louisa can be a bit cross (No, ya think? I thought to myself) when the hormones start kicking in and asked my advice. I looked at him rather sadly and told him "Louisa wanted _nothing to do with me_ while she was pregnant with James and if I tried to give her advice she would do the opposite. I am sure she will be better with you, _I hope_. Just support, love and comfort her as best you can. The hardest thing with her will be to get her to slow down and rest. She _needs_ to do that!" He replied "I didn't know about that and I'm sorry. I know you two had a rough go of it." I put a hand on his shoulder and said "Don't be, it is all water under the bridge now. We just weren't meant to be but I _know_ you two are and for that I am glad! She is a good woman who deserves to be happy and deserves a good man like you. I also thank you for helping to care for our beautiful son. I love him and miss him deeply but I know that I don't have to worry about him because he is happy and loved."

Stephan closed the boot on the car and said "I am happy for you, too, Martin! Katie is a wonderful woman and even I can tell that you two were made for each other. James is absolutely infatuated with her, you know. By the way, Louisa told me that you two were going to try to have children, too." I sighed "We are already trying but it probably won't happen. I did have to get her to realize just how dangerous her job is and think about the ramifications of that. I came _so close_ to losing her on the day of the explosion. She laughs it off but everyone who knows about such things tells me it is a miracle that she is still alive and I believe them. I have seen the wreckage of that helicopter. We had our first big row about that but in the end she saw the logic of my arguments. If you think Louisa is tough to deal with at times try dealing with my Irish-Italian love of my life over there. We have to face one very simple fact, Stephan. We are both bonded to very remarkable and tough women!" We both laughed and he said "Isn't that the truth!"

Louisa watched as the two men headed off to the cars then turned to Katie and said "I am glad we are going to have some private time to talk. I just wanted to tell you that I am _overjoyed_ that Martin and you are getting married! I told him on the day he left that he would find his soul mate and he _did_! He has changed _so much _over the months since he left here. He is finally breaking free of the prison of the mind that he has lived in all of his life and it is _only_ because of you that he is doing so. Only you could fight through the demons that were guarding the dark dungeon his soul was locked into and set it free into the light. I know we had a really tough time of things but I have _always_ wished for him the best of everything and to find love and happiness. Please take very good care of him-he deserves it after all that has happened to him and he deserves a remarkable woman like you. I also want to thank you for helping with and caring for our beautiful son James. When Martin left I thought James was going to be sad and upset by this time but no! He has _absolutely_ fallen in love with you and he thinks he is the luckiest boy in the world because he has _four_ parents who love him. He already views you as a parent even though he calls you 'daddy's friend Katie'. Martin is worried about how he will be affected when he finds out you two are getting married but I think he will jump for joy.

Katie looked at Louisa with tears in her eyes "Thank you for your kind words, Louisa! They mean so much to me! I love him more than life itself and I will take the very good care of him. I will protect him from harm and will defend him. I have been trying to help him fight off the demons and to let go of the horrors of his past-hopefully one day he will wake up one morning to find they are all gone and on that day I will rejoice. He is a good, kind-hearted, sensitive, loving man who is really a cuddly teddy bear at heart and he deserves to be happy and loved. I also want to thank you for all you have done with James. Martin loves his son deeply and as you know divorce can really mess up a child and Martin was afraid that by moving away he would lose his son. You are the one to thank for that happy little boy over there playing with his brothers and sisters. _You_ are the one who guided him though the fire to come out happy with, as you said, four parents that love him.

Louisa was crying and put an arm around her and they hugged, then they both took tissues out of their purses at the same time, noticed that they had and started laughing. Louisa said "God, if they come back now they are going to wonder what just happened and be frightened!" Katie laughed and said "Ain't that the truth! They will probably both start running for the hills. Women who are crying and laughing at the same time scare the hell out of the menfolk!" They both laughed while wiping the tears away and blowing their noses. Louisa said "Martin tells me you two are going to try to have a baby, I hope you two do! Katie looked at her tissue "We already are. The night he proposed I walked over to his nightstand and tossed out the condoms. It probably won't happen though." Louisa put an arm around her and said "You can't think that way! Look at me! I thought this would _never_ happen but it did." Katie smiled at that then laughed "Oh, my god! Wouldn't it be funny if we were at the same time, those two could form their own support group! I think they would need it!"

Martin and Stephan rounded the corner to find their women laughing, giggling with tears in their eyes and a large pile of used tissues sitting on the table. They looked at each other like they were about to go into the Lion's den, which caused the women to laugh harder. Katie said "Don't be afraid, the estrogen won't kill you! It may make you want to become fashion designers, though...hey, that might prove helpful!" and the women giggling and laughing again. Martin shot an eyebrow up, looked at Stephan and said "We better get them separated, before we die from all the excess estrogen being produced over there. I will go first and get Katie; I am a trained medical professional, after all." Stephan laughed and said "You are a braver man than I, Gunga Din!"

The men took their women by the hand and went searching for the children. They were down looking for shells. I called out "James, it's time to go!' James looked up and started running towards them, the rest followed. They all walked to the cars, the adults all shook hands while the children reminded James to 'take tons of pictures and videos' and bring them back 'loads of stuff'. I put James in the back seat and buckled him in and Louisa reached in to kiss and hug him "Be a good boy, sweetheart!" James smiled at her and replied "I will mummy! I am going to have so much fun!" Katie got in the passenger seat and I got in, closed the door and said "See you in a week!"

We backed out and drove off, the Melbury's waving goodbye as we left.

As we drove out of town James exclaimed "I am going on a big adventure!"


	36. Chapter 36-My Fondest Wish

**_Chapter 36: My Fondest Wish..._**

The journey from Cornwall to London was uneventful. James happily chattered away about the things he saw out the window of the train and just about everything else. One of the things James mentioned that Stephan had told him which caused Katie to say "_Oh, my god_! Martin, give me the number for Stephan and Louisa. I need to ask him a question." James and I looked at her quizzically and I hit their number on the dialer of my phone and handed it to her. "Hello, Louisa! No, everything is fine. James just mentioned something and I need to ask your hubby a question." The first question she asked Stephan was "Did you play a toon named 'Misopretty' on Luclin? You _DID_! Ohmigod! I'm 'Burran'!" James and I listened to her side of the conversation though it made _absolutely_ no sense to either of us "Daddy, what are they talking about?" "I have _no_ idea, son." It seemed like a conversation between two long lost friends who shared a common, and very fun, experience. When it was over she laughed and said "Life can be _so strange_ at times. As it turns out I know Stephan _very_ well, except I know him as a female Dark Elf Shadow Knight named 'Misopretty' and he knows me as a male Human Wizard named 'Burran'." Now we were both very confused and she told us a truncated version of the story. Apparently a little over a decade ago they both played an online game and spent many hours playing it together with a group of other people. They only knew each other by their character's names and where they lived.

By the time we finally got back to the hotel in London we were all pretty sleepy so I gave James a bath and we tucked him up into bed and went to bed ourselves. Early the next morning I was awakened by the sound of rain falling on the windows. I decided to let them both sleep a bit longer and went to shower and shave, as I was shaving I heard the alarm clock go off and the rustling sounds of Katie getting out of bed muttering sleepily "Coffee...I need coffee..." She came into the bathroom, walked up behind me and put her arms around me. She kissed my back and caressed my chest and said "Good morning, my love. I would kiss your face but I learned long ago that 'la crème fouettée dans la salle de bains _n'est pas_ crème fouettée.' Then she gently let go and went to take a shower while I finished up and dressed. I went to wake James. I stood there watching him sleep for a while before I did, he looks _so_ much like me but he is having a vastly different childhood than I had. At his age I traveled, too. Not with my parents (or parent and fiancée in this case) to a new land but alone to boarding school in Hampshire. He is happy and excited to be going on a trip, I hated and dreaded mine. He is not like me and I am not like my father-I would **_never_** do to him what my father did to me. These thoughts started to arouse feelings of hate, shame and anger in me and I heard Katie's voice in my mind "He can't hurt you anymore if you let go of your anger and _forgive_. Forgiveness is not about the other person, _it is __all__ about you_. The act of forgiving allows you to lay to rest what happened, the emotions and pain involved with it and move on-once you do that he no longer has _any power_ over you." I think she instinctively knows what he did to me and knows I will _never_ be able to talk about it...

I pushed those thoughts out of my mind and kissed my son's brow then gently waked him. "Good morning, sweetheart! It is time to get up..." His eyes opened sleepily, he hugged me and said "Good morning, daddy! Is it time for us to go on the airplane? Where's Katie?" I replied "We will be going soon and she is getting dressed. You need to go get cleaned up and dressed, too, and then we will have breakfast. After that we will go. What would you like for breakfast?" he said "Mummy always makes us pancakes with bacon on Saturday morning, do they have pancakes here?" I replied "They certainly do, would you like them with berries on top or Maple syrup?" He thought for a moment then said "Maple syrup!" I called down to order our breakfast then took James to the bathroom to help him get dressed and ready. When we were done we came out to find that Katie had all our baggage lined up ready to go and was letting the man from room service in with our breakfasts. I tipped him while she put James's pajamas and toiletry bag in his suitcase and we sat down to eat. During breakfast James merrily talked away about all sorts of things, in that respect he is _very much_ his mother's child. One of the things he asked me is why I didn't have any hair on my chest like Stephan does. I tried my best to explain in terms he could understand the concepts of genetics and heredity and told him that, more than likely, he would not have a hairy chest when he grew up. After we finished breakfast I called for a porter then went down to the lobby to settle the bill while Katie and James double checked the room to make sure nothing was left behind. The cab that was going to take us to the airport was already waiting out in front and once they came down we got in and left for Heathrow.

Checking in went quickly and smoothly, one of the perks of flying first class is that you are fast tracked through everything which makes a _huge_ difference when you are traveling with an almost 6 year old child. He was excited about getting his passport stamped and asked once we had sat down in the first class lounge to wait for our flight "Why is Katie's passport blue and ours are red?" she replied "Because you two are British citizens and I am an American citizen." She handed him her passport for him to inspect and pointed out the differences between the two and James said "Wow! You have a lot of stamps in yours!" and she told him which countries each of them were from. His eyes grew wide and he said "You have been everywhere!" she laughed and said "Not _quite_, but I have been to a lot of places over the years." Our flight was called for boarding and we eventually settled into our seats and we were soon in the air. James was fascinated by everything and was being his naturally quiet voiced and well behaved self, much to the relief of some of our fellow passengers. I saw the looks on their faces when we sat down. I felt no anger and understood those looks having been inflicted with unruly, ill-behaved children on long flights before. He charmed the flight attendants and Katie whispered in my ear "You better watch out or you will be a grandfather a lot sooner than you _ever_ expected, he has a way with women!" and she laughed at the expression on my face and gave me a kiss. After dinner he soon fell asleep and we read our books or quietly talked.

About 90 minutes before we were due to land I woke him up. He looked out the window to see forests, large square patches of farmland and a big river. "Where are we, daddy?" I brought up the flight tracker and said "We are flying over a state called Indiana right now and the big river is called the Ohio, in about an hour and a half we will be in Houston." The time went fast, he asked many questions about what he was seeing below and Katie explained some of the geology behind them that made them look the way they do. Soon we felt the plane start to slow and descend, and then we were on the ground. We deplaned and went through customs. Katie went to get the car while I held James and waited at the exit to the terminal. It was a very warm, humid and hazy day. While we waited I asked him "Are you hungry?" he replied "Yes. Can I go for a swim when we go home?" I hugged him and said "We will _all_ go for a swim after we get settled in; the water will be nice and warm." Katie pulled the car up and James gasped "You have a Jaguar just like mine!" and he pulled his toy car out of his pocket to show it to me "Yes, that is my car. I remembered yours and got one like it just for you." He hugged me and gave me a kiss "I love you, daddy!" I kissed him back and said "I love you, too!"

On the way to the house he remarked on how different everything was, all the interesting things he saw and all the 'big buildings'. He did ask why Katie was driving and not me, I replied "So I can answer your questions and not have to concentrate on driving. Besides, she is much better at driving on the freeways here than me." Silently thanking her for not driving the way she usually does-weaving in and out of traffic like someone who has stolen the car. I told her that James was hungry and she suggested that we stop at Goode Company Taqueria for a late lunch before we went home. We did and there James had his first Taco which he announced was now his new favorite food, when he did so Katie laughed and said "You have excellent taste, young padawan!" He would discover many 'new favorite foods' over the course of the next week...

We finally made it home and James was blown away "It looks like a house in a James Bond movie!" and started to run around looking at things. I called him back saying "You can look around later. First you have to pick out a bedroom for your very own then we will all go for a swim." We took him upstairs and he chose the one closest to ours. He was amazed at how big it was and that he had his own bathroom. I helped him unpack his luggage and then we both changed into our swim trunks. While we were doing that Katie unpacked our luggage, put her skinsuit on and was already in the pool. As James and I descended the stairs he saw a flash of silver swimming underwater in the pool. He stopped in his tracks and said in a quivering voice "Daddy, is there a shark in the pool?" I laughed and said "No, that's just Katie, she likes to swim underwater." He let out a sigh of relief "She wears a different kind of swim suit then mummy and all the other girls do. Why?" I had to think of a good way to explain it without telling him about the scars, knowledge of those might make him really sad and ask questions of her that would make her sad "Her skin is very sensitive so she has to wear one like that." That worked! He just said "Oh...OK!" and the subject dropped.

Before we left she had bought him some swim goggles, diving mask, snorkel and swim fins plus assorted pool toys. She taught him how to use the snorkel and told him that one day we would take him on her sailboat to go swim in a place that is like being in a big aquarium. We swam and played many games then cleaned up and ate a light dinner. By then it was dark and he was getting sleepy so we got him ready for bed, I read him a story and he kissed us both good night and fell asleep. We were pretty tired too and headed to bed ourselves.

Just before she climbed into bed she exclaimed "Oh, I forgot something, be right back!" and headed downstairs. She came back with a small giftwrapped box, laid down next to me and said "I got you _a_ _present_! I hope you like it..." and handed me the box. I unwrapped it and looked inside the box and was speechless. She laughed and said "You should see the look on your face! Apparently with all the running around we have done over the last week you didn't notice that _something_ was missing which surprised me, usually you are very cognizant of these things. I, however, _did_ notice it. Well, my love...It looks like you got your fondest wish, your Katie's home to go roamin' no more. I'm grounded. Now, we better plan on..." She didn't get a chance to finish the sentence. I set the box down on the nightstand and kissed her passionately, we made very sweet and tender love then we drifted off to sleep afterwards. I woke up as the dim light of early dawn was stealing through the windows. I picked up the box and looked at its contents again-a plastic stick with a led display, in that display was one word. Pregnant. I thought to myself 'And here we both thought and prepared for this not happening even though we were going to try. It was a little over a month ago when Robert said _'"Well, there she is in the kitchen and barefoot, now all he has to do is get her pregnant!"_ Is he in for a surprise...'


	37. Chapter 37-Take Me Out to the Ball Game

**_Chapter 37: Take Me Out to the Ballgame_**

I was sitting in bed thinking when I heard a soft, sleepy voice "mmmm…Good morning, my love…" I scooted back down to cuddle her "Good morning, my love…. We kissed and she snuggled up to me, her head resting on my chest. She said "I realize that those pee on the stick tests aren't the most accurate things in the world so it could be false positive and the 'pony ride' may just be running behind due to the hectic week we had. I know that is probably just _one of the things_ you have been thinking about as you stared at the wall for the last hour. I have been up watching you, you know. So, tell me what's troubling you, I can take it."

I stroked her hair as she caressed my chest. I said "There is much that I am thinking about right now. One is not to get my hopes up for the reasons you just described. Another is what if it is true and you are pregnant. I know neither one of us were all that confident that we would be able to conceive a child in the first place and if we were it would take _a lot longer_ than this. I am stunned and elated but fear it might not be true. I am also afraid that it _might be true_ because of something you said." She looked up at me, a tinge of dread in those magnificent green eyes. I continued "You seemed to be almost _happy_ when you said 'I'm grounded.' I don't know if you really are or just putting on a show to make me feel better. You _are _used to being free. I fear that eventually you may resent giving up that part of your life. _I love you_ but I do not want to put you in a cage, no matter how comfortable…."

She put her finger to my lips and said "Hush…_You are not 'caging' me! _I _choose_ to be here with you because _I love you_. If I am indeed pregnant it is because I _chose_ to become so, well you also were definitely involved with that decision and the process but _I was the one_ who threw the hardwear out_, not you_. You could have fished them back out of the wastebasket and I would not have minded _nor would I love you any less if you had_-I would have taken it as that you were simply not ready. I would have understood and I will understand. It is _all_ up to you, my love." I kissed her then said "You know what my greatest fear is?" She looked at me with a concerned look on her face "No, what is it, my love?" I said "My greatest fear is that you _are_ pregnant and your brother shows up with a shotgun!" She laughed and said "He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn even if he was surrounded by barns! Besides, if he shot you I would just have to knock his front teeth out...again!" I started to tickle her and she giggled while trying to reach one of my few ticklish areas, I used my superior knowledge of anatomy and of her ticklish spots to keep her from doing so. I succeeded and she was giggling and saying "stopit,stopit,stopit!"

There was a knock on the door. We looked at each other, she giggled and said "Busted!" as she tossed my pajamas at me and put hers on. I said, "Good morning, James! Just a minute!" I walked to the door pulling up my pajama bottoms glanced back to make sure she was ready and opened the door. "I hope we didn't wake you, son!" "No, I just woke up and it sounded like you were having a lot of fun so I came to see what you were doing." I picked him up and plopped him on the bed, Katie said "Ohayou gozaimasu, James-san! Genki desu ka?" and gave him a hug. He was puzzled "What does 'Ohayou goz..goza mean?" she replied "Ohayou gozaimasu means 'good morning' in Japanese-'genki desu ka' means 'how are you'." They practiced it until he could say the greeting, he smiled and said "How do you say daddy in Japanese?" She replied "Chichi. So if you want to say 'Good Morning, daddy' in Japanese you would say 'Ohayou gozaimasu, chichi-san!' the 'san' is a title of respect. In your cases James-san would be equivalent to calling you Mr. James, and 'chichi-san' it would be equivalent to 'honored father'. When you meet Matsuko later today you can say to her 'Konnichiwa, Matsuko-san' Konnichiwa means either 'Hello' or 'Good Afternoon'. James smiled, looked at me and said "Ohayou gozaimasu, chichi-san! Genki desu ka?" She turned to me "You would reply 'Genki desu, arigato.' which means 'I am fine, thank you.' ...thus endeth the lesson in Japanese for the day...anyway...your daddy was tickling me and wouldn't let me tickle him back. I need some help; I think that if we work together we would succeed." James's eyes sparkled "Daddy is ticklish?" Katie smiled "Yup, but only in a _very few_ places, I am ticklish all over and his arms are longer so I will need some help. Will you help me?" He jumped up and down on the bed at the thought then sat down next to her "Tell me what we have to do!" She whispered in his ear then said "Ready?" James giggled and nodded, I thought about running for my life. It was a struggle but in the end the lioness and the cub brought me down like a wounded, giggling Wildebeest. James was delighted; he had never heard his 'daddy' giggle before.

Exhausted from the tickle battle we were all laying on the bed. I was thinking to myself how much I have changed-a year ago I would have been apoplectic if anyone _dared_ to do what James and Katie just did. Now, _it just feels good_ and the joy I saw on James's face was worth it. James asked "What are we going to do today? I replied "Well, first we all have to make the beds, get cleaned up and dressed, then have breakfast. After that we will be going downtown to see a baseball game with all my friends from the hospital and their families. Claire's favorite team the Yankees and the home team the Astros will be playing. Claire is so happy her 'Skype buddy' is here and said she will explain the game to you, I don't know much about Baseball myself outside of the fact that it is similar to Rounders. After the game is over we are all going to Ryan and Matsuko's home for a party. Tomorrow is a holiday here so we don't have to work and the children don't have to go to school. You will have lots of fun playing in their pool and meeting some new friends." James smiled and said "That sounds like a lot of fun!"

We set about doing our chores and getting cleaned up, I was shaving and James was watching me while Katie stripped the beds, put fresh sheets on and sprayed them with her special linen spray so they smell good. It is a light scent that smells like you are sleeping in a meadow of grass and flowers in the middle of a forest. That is another change-I used to _detest_ artificial scents and perfume. I don't know, maybe it was because the ones I smelled before were so pungent and cloying. In some cases they really clashed with the person's body chemistry and smelled like insecticide. With her they are all light and very natural smelling and I must admit that the linen spray does help me sleep _well_-I haven't had a nightmare in months. She does have _one_ perfume that she only wears on formal or very special occasions-it is _very expensive_, somewhat heavy but is delightful, and _very interesting_. The scent of the perfume changes subtly as the night goes on. It is hard to describe the effect but she put it well "It is not a perfume, it is a _seduction_." I know it certainly had evoked a response out of me...A little hand shook me. "Daddy, are you OK?" I smiled and replied "Yes, I was just daydreaming...Why don't you go see what Katie is up to in the kitchen while I finish getting ready " He hopped down off the vanity "OK!" and ran off downstairs.

I came into the kitchen to find James sitting at the breakfast bar drinking some juice and talking to Katie as she was moving about the kitchen. I took my phone out and snapped a couple pictures of the scene. "Now that everyone is here what would you like for breakfast?" James and I both said Egg and soldiers and she made some porridge with apple and berries for herself. While we were eating James finally put two and two together "Are you and Katie getting married, daddy? She has a ring like mummy's but it has a colored di'mond in it." Katie and I looked at each other and smiled and I replied. "Yes, we are. Is that OK?" He jumped out of his chair gave me a big hug and kiss and said "Oh, _yes_! I love you and I'm so happy!" then he ran over to Katie, hopped into her lap and hugged and kissed her "I love you! You make daddy very happy and you are _so much fun_! She hugged and kissed him "I love you, too, and thank you!" she looked at me, smiled and said "The Accolade!" James looked at her ring "What kind of di'mond is that?" she explained "It isn't a diamond; it is a stone called Alexandrite. It changes color depending on the kind of light shining on it. She picked him up and sat him down in his chair "Wait right here for a second." and walked over to the drawer and pulled out a torch. She sat next to him and took off her ring and handed it to him "See how it is sort of a bluish green in the sunlight?" "Yes, it is really pretty." Then she cupped her hand over it "Now watch." and shone the flashlight on it, James's eyes grew big "It's purple! I have never seen anything like that before!" James gave her the ring back; she put it on and sat back down to finish her breakfast. I looked at the time and said "We'd better go over to the hospital soon. We are meeting everyone there and Claire has our tickets." Katie said "I already have everything packed up and in the car so we can leave straightaway."

I pulled the car into my parking spot and we made our way down to the lobby, on our way James remarked on everything that caught his attention. Down in the lobby our group was standing and chatting with each other, some of the kids were playing. The sound of Claire's distinctive New York accent could be heard above the crowd "There's my Skype buddy!" and she ran up to us. She gave James a hug and put a Yankees cap on his head "You can't go to a ball game without a hat!" We all walked towards the group and introduced James to everyone-he charmed them all, especially Matsuko. When I introduced him to Matsuko he greeted her with the Japanese that Katie taught him this morning complete with the appropriate bow. Foghorn piped up and asked if we were waiting on anyone else, the reply was no so we headed for the train stop. Claire and James were chattering away ahead, she was explaining to James why it is called "The Danger Train", later she told him that the last line in the American national anthem really is "Play Ball!" I put my arm around Katie and she smiled "Oh, he is going to have so much fun today! He is going to enjoy watching the game with Claire and he already is making friends with the other children." She was wearing a hat and I asked which team it was "Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, a minor league team. I just liked the name and the hat." We all piled on the train and made it down to the stadium unscathed.

I knew that James had never attended a large sporting event before and he was filled with wonder at everything-the stadium, the scoreboard, the game, the people, the mascot, the people shooting T-Shirts into the crowd, the vendors going up and down the stairs selling drinks and snacks. Claire and James were having a good time and she was doing a very good job explaining things to him. She was also teaching him how to 'razz' a Red Sox fan by 'talking smack' with Ryan. The rest of the children were explaining things to James, too. Katie was shooting video of all of us for James, then showed him how to operate the camera and he started shooting his own pictures and video. The adults talked among themselves while the children did the same all were enjoying themselves. All the women wanted to see Katie's ring and loved it. I was somewhat torn about the snacks James was eating, most aren't good for him but I decided not to make a fuss about it. I did keep an eye on him to make sure he wasn't eating too much of them, though. That is another change in me, I thought to myself. I noticed that Katie went and sat with Matsuko and they were talking in Japanese, I _knew_ what they were talking about…I smiled and daydreamed a bit.

Katie eventually drifted back and sat next to me "I think James has a girlfriend, he and Hanna have been talking nonstop for the last two innings _and_ they are already at the _sharing _snacks stage! Damn, you Ellingham men move fast!" and she kissed my cheek. Claire came back from the concession stand with a beer. She plopped down in the seat next to Katie, leaned over and said to me "Your son ditched me for a younger woman! I am now going to cry in my beer!" Katie laughed "It's OK, Claire, he can't help it. Hanna is plying her feminine wiles on him. She fed him a gummy bear, I saw it!" Claire laughed "Ah, the old 'feed him a gummy bear' trick, next thing you know he will be peeling her a grape! I didn't stand a chance…" Katie asked Claire where Jerry was, she said he was "someplace in Indonesia" then Katie told her that "For a small stipend I won't tell Jerry that you had a date with a younger man, even though he dumped you for a younger woman while he was gone" and Claire gave her a dollar to keep it quiet. They laughed then started talking hockey, apparently Flyer fans (Katie) and Ranger fans (Claire) have the same kind of rivalry as Yankee and Red Sox fans.

Thankfully Don came over and sat next to me "You were out of town on Friday and were in transit so I decided to save this for when you got back. I wanted to tell you that your research project has been approved and funded. I was surprised, there wasn't a single dissenting vote on it, very rare! How soon you think you can start on it?" I was surprised, too! "I think sometime in September. Katie and I are going to get married and we're going to go spend a couple weeks on her boat, which I must admit I am looking forward to. It will help clear my head to be somewhere where there are no interruptions so I can think. When we get back it will take me a couple weeks to get it organized so September sounds about right." Foghorn sat a row up between us and leaned forward "What are you two talking about?" I replied "We were just discussing my research project, the board approved it on Friday" Foghorn patted me on the shoulder "I know and congratulations! If it works the way you think it will it will be revolutionary and save a lot of lives. Probably win a Nobel prize, too." I smiled "That is the trick, getting it to work! On paper it looks good and I have quadruple checked everything, but we all know how things like that go when you try to make it work in the real world."

Don, Foghorn, Ryan, Karl and I talked shop for the rest of the game so I hadn't noticed that my son and Hanna were now tossing gummy bears into each other's mouths, but Katie and Matsuko had. They told them to stop because they might choke on them. They stopped.

The game ended with the Yankees winning 7-0, which made Claire happy. We waited until the crowd thinned a bit before we left and hopped on The Danger Train back to the hospital then drove over to Ryan and Matsuko's for dinner. James talked nonstop the whole way; he notified us that Nachos were now his favorite food and that he_ liked_ his new friend Hanna. Katie leaned over and whispered in my ear "Grandpa!" I swatted her and she said "Ow...soon to be spousal abuse! Where is Pam when I need her?"

Ryan and Matsuko have a large and very beautiful home with, most importantly to James, a large pool with a slide. The children all changed into their bathing suits at record speed and were in the pool playing and splashing within minutes. The adults watched them, drank iced tea and talked while the grill was warming up. I thought to myself "This was a good idea, the children will work off all that sugar they ate this afternoon." Chandra and Pam had just arrived, they both had to work this afternoon so could not attend the game.

At one point Pam cornered me and said "Martin, I have been meaning to contact you but both our schedules are rather hectic. I wanted to ask you what Katie told you about the helicopter crash?" I looked at her and said "She just told me it was damaged and she had to fight it to get it on the ground." Pam shook her head "I thought she would minimize it, that woman has no fear." She pulled a DVD out of her purse "Here is the video from the crash from the camera on the helicopter. No one saw this on the air because it was just recording B-roll. Just watch it sometime. What Keith said on that day is truer than you can imagine-_they should be dead_. I don't mean to stir up the Hornet's nest but you need to know what your future wife considers 'no big deal'" I took the DVD "I appreciate your concern and we had a heated row over the events of that day. She is retiring from aviation and will be just a private pilot." Pam looked relieved "That makes me feel better. We all care about _both_ of you, Martin, and Karl said those hours she was missing _everyone_ knew it was tearing you apart inside with worry though you dealt with it with the finest of British stiff upper lip's. He said that he felt helpless watching you go through that did not ever want to see you have to do that again. Now that I feel better, shall we rejoin the others?" I replied "I'll be there in a minute, I want to put this in the car." As I walked to the car I wondered just how _bad it had been_ if they were that concerned.

I went back out to the patio after hiding the DVD in the car, sat next to Katie and thought 'How bad had it been? She made it out to be little more than a fender bender. Perhaps that is why she seemed to be happy to be grounded when she told me that she might be pregnant. Maybe she was more frightened then she let on. I'll watch that DVD and judge for myself.' I put my arm around her and whispered in her ear "Has the 'pony ride' shown up yet?" She smiled and shook her head 'no'. Now five days late.


	38. Chapter 38-Dinner and a Fable

**_Chapter 38: Dinner and a Fable_**

The smell of Mesquite smoke-filled the air and it was making me hungry. I guess I have now lived here long enough to have an almost Pavlovian reaction to the scent. Ryan was at the grill cooking and Matsuko was in the kitchen preparing the rest of the meal, Katie and Claire went in to help. Karl asked me "So, have you two set a date yet?" I replied "Not really. We're just going to go down to the courthouse and having a simple civil ceremony then go home. Neither one of us want the full-blown wedding. She told me explicitly that she was not, and I quote, 'wearing a big white poofy dress'." Chandra said "_You have to be joking!_ Neither one of you really have a clue, do you?" I replied perplexedly "How do you mean?" They all laughed and I became even more perplexed.

Chandra sighed and continued "You two are already legend, you know that don't you? No, don't bother answering that because I know you don't know. Let me spell it out for you. Once upon a time and not so long ago a prince lived in a faraway land called Britain. He had been, at one time, one of the best and most brilliant princes in the world. He was known as having 'the Midas touch'. He was also known as being one of the coldest people in the world and one that _none_ dared cross lest they wanted to be burned by his famous temper. A notorious loner with many enemies and few true friends. An asocial misfit who's only known female companion was a cold, heartless witch who tormented him. He _never_ laughed... At the height of his power he was struck down by a terrible demon named Haemophobia and was exiled to a remote land named Cornwall. He was sad, unhappy and cursed by demons toiling away in a small village that didn't like him anymore then he liked them. There he met a schoolteacher and after a tempestuous, tortured and troubled courtship they finally married after producing a son. The marriage failed and the prince was more alone and miserable than ever."

"Then one day he had an idea! He would leave everything behind and seek a new land to start a new life. Almost no one would take him in because they thought he was too damaged. Only one place would take him in-it was in a remote land called Texas. There he rose like the Phoenix from the ashes of his former life and was becoming even greater than he once was. But he was still alone fighting his demons."

"Then one dark and stormy night he was in a grocery store and he found his princess in the produce section. But she was no ordinary princess like you would find in fairy tales, tawdry romance novels or Disney movies. She was a _brave_ princess of the wild places who had led a very hard life, had many demons of her own that she struggled with yet did not fear anything, _especially_ death. She had just traveled far from a mythical land of ice and snow called Antarctica. These two people traveled from the opposite sides of the world to find a new life in this place called Texas, not knowing what they were seeking but knew they had to leave their own lands to find it. When they met lightning struck both of them and they fell in love, more importantly, _they found in each other what they were searching for_. She helped him fight his demons, find laughter and breathed life into him; he helped her fight her demons, gentled her wild spirit and rescued her from certain death. One by one they slayed their demons together and together they were morphing into something great, something that only lives in myth. They have already created the first two chapters of the myth with "The Story of the Pineapple" and the "The Story of the Puzzle Box"."

"The story is still being written and no one knows how it will end. Those who know them and their story see nothing but greatness in their future-the stuff legends and myths are made of."

Everyone was silent, I was _stunned_. Chandra looked at me, laughed and said "People like that do not get married **_at the freaking courthouse_**! All of us sitting here _will make it a special day for you_ _two_ because there is _no_ myth from _any _civilization that includes a 'fill out the forms' wedding! " Foghorn kissed her and said "That was a pretty damned good story, darlin'!" then he looked at me "She's right, you know. I may not be the most romantic person in the world but I know it when I see it. We will plan it tonight and I don't want any arguing out of you!" I finally found my voice "It isn't me that you need worry about, it is my 'princess fair'. She is the one that wears the armor in the family and it will be very _difficult_ to get past it." Don said "That may be true, she is unlike any woman I, or any of the rest of us, have ever met. I do not believe she has a traditionally 'female romantic' bone in her body. Her life has been far too different from any we know and understand for one to grow in, but she _does_ have one. I probably know her better than any of the rest of you outside of Martin to know that. I also know a secret about these two that I will **_never _**tell that would amaze and astound all of you and **_do not _****_ever_****_ inquire_** **_of me, or of them, of what that might be_**. I will only say that Chandra was right in saying the first chapters were already written, except there are _three_ chapters, not two..."

Matsuko, Claire and Katie came out of the kitchen bearing bowls and plates and were putting them on a large table while Ryan was putting the meats and vegetables he had been grilling on large platters. Matsuko said "Can you guys fish the kids out of the pool and get them ready for dinner while we set up?" We all went over to the pool to get them "James, it is time to get ready for dinner!" He swam to the edge of the pool and got out "OK daddy! I'm really hungry and the food smells so good!" We hosed the children down to wash off the pool chemicals, dried them off and they ran inside to change into their clothing. I reminded James to put his wet things in the plastic bag that Katie had packed for that purpose. Once they had run off the rest of the adults assisted the others in setting the tables and in any other way they could. James was right, it did smell delicious! I think nachos are about to be knocked off the top of his favorite food list by fajitas. The children returned and everything was ready. Ryan said "We set this up as a buffet kind of thing, just help yourself! Katie and I helped James, he had never eaten fajitas before and we described what everything was, we fixed up our own plates to show him how it was done. They had set up a children's table and after James had his plate ready he went over to sit by his 'new friend Hanna' to eat with her, the adults headed to their table. When everyone had filled their plates and sat down Foghorn said "While Matsuko, Claire and Katie were in the kitchen we had a _very interesting conversation_ that they need to be brought up to speed on because we will have business to attend to after dinner." I looked at Katie and hoped she wouldn't bolt for the door, she can be _so uncomfortable_ about truly personal things. Underneath all that armor and boldness lies a very shy, wounded and, _yes_, frightened creature. She is still, in her mind, that little girl in the burning nightgown lying in the snow watching her mother die. She occasionally has nightmares about it and wakes up screaming. It takes a long time to comfort her and calm her down, her tears forming little pools on my chest...

It started off by Chandra recounting her 'fable' almost word for word. Matsuko and Claire were charmed by it but I could sense Katie starting to get uncomfortable and put my hand on her leg and looked at her to silently say "It's OK, just go with the flow." then I thought to myself "Oh, gawd, I just used a quote from Burt Large!" and felt the urge to bang my head on the table. I could feel the tenseness start to leave her and she put her hand in mine under the table. The discussion then revolved around planning the event. The very first order of business was setting a date and Don said "There is a 72 hour waiting period in Texas from the time you apply for a marriage license to when the ceremony can be performed, there are no blood tests needed to apply, just your identification. I don't mean to rush things but your son is here, Martin. It would be a very nice thing for him to be included. I know that you picked up your wedding bands in London and he was very excited to be a ring bearer at your ex-wife's wedding; he could be one at yours and Katie's. You two are on vacation this week, we could take him on Tuesday and watch him in the morning while you two go down to the courthouse and apply for a license. You two could get married on Friday night or Saturday before he goes home. I know that might be pushing it to get anyone in the UK that you might want to attend here on such short notice. What I can do is call my friend Danny and ask if I could borrow his jet once again. I could also ask him if we can use his ranch out by Brenham for the event, the place is astounding and he has an old converted barn that he uses to throw large parties at. He _really likes_ Katie and I know he hired her to fly his helicopter and he knows I think of you like the son I never had. I think he would be more than pleased to help out and, knowing him, he _will_ wear the 'big white poofy dress' for her-we have long joked that he always wants to be the baby at every christening, the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral. He and your bride to be are cut from the same cloth-tough and fearless on the outside but inside beats a kind and generous heart. Let me call him right now and ask."

While Don was talking on the phone to Danny the conversation around the table flowed with ideas. I could feel Katie becoming more and more comfortable and she was opening herself up to the idea. Claire received a phone call and excused herself to talk in private. A couple minutes later she came back and showed Matsuko something on her phone. Matsuko looked at it and smiled. Don ended his call and said "Danny thinks this is a _wonderful idea_ and wants to help in any way possible." Claire looked at Matsuko with questioning eyes and Matsuko nodded 'yes' and smiled. Claire got up, walked over to us and said "I know the perfect 'theme' for the wedding and it involves a shotgun! _Congratulations, you two_!" and then she showed both of us what was on her phone. Apparently while they were in the kitchen and the rest of us were not paying any real attention to what they were doing Matsuko and Katie let Claire in on the secret. Claire drew blood from Katie, ran it over to the hospital and had it tested. The item on her phone was the results of the test, the hCG levels highlighted. Matsuko said "Judging by the levels _alone_ I would estimate that gestational age is approximately 4 to six weeks, they are a bit abnormal for a single child but fall within the parameters for multiple. I will run a Doppler ultrasound tomorrow if you are available to determine what is going on in there. As it stands _right now_ I estimate the due date as being between January 21st and February 7th and that you are, almost certainly, carrying twins." Claire laughed and said "You know Claire is a _really great name_ for a girl! Claire Ellingham...it has a very nice ring to it!"

My heart was racing. I then did something that I had _never_ done before in my life. I took Katie by the hands and we stood up. I then took her in my arms and we kissed a very long, deep and very passionate kiss. I could hear the rest applauding and cheering, I also heard Claire wisecrack "Get a room!" and everyone laughed. I heard the children come over from their table and ask what was happening. We finally parted breathlessly and held other. Katie asked Matsuko if they had a spare room we might use and they all laughed again, and then crowded round to congratulate us with handshakes and hugs. James tugged on my trouser leg "Daddy, what is happening?" I picked him up and asked if he had any plans for Friday or Saturday, he replied that he didn't. I kissed him and said "How would you like to be a ring bearer again?" he kissed me and said "YES! I did a real good job at mummy's wedding and I remember all that I'm supposed to do!" I sat down and put him on my lap, Katie pulled her chair close and sat down beside me, her hand entwined in mine. "We have some other news for you, my son. You know that mummy is going to have a baby and you will be a big brother, right?" he looked at us and said "Yes and I am going to be the _best_ big brother ever!" I tousled his hair and said "Well, it appears that you are going to have _three_ little sisters and brothers and I _know_ you will be the best big brother ever!" He looked at us in surprise and wonder "Is Katie going to have a baby, too?" She took his hand and looked him in the eyes and said "I have two babies inside me, you can't see or feel it yet like you can with your mummy but they _are_ there." He crawled off my lap and into hers and gave her a big hug and a kiss "I love you!"

We all sat and talked for another hour or two planning. James was getting quite sleepy so we thanked everyone and got in the car to head home. As we were stopped at a stoplight he asked the question every parent dreads "How did the babies get inside Katie, daddy?" I looked at her with a somewhat surprised and panicked look; she kissed me and laughed "Erm...ah...um...we will tell you when we get home, OK?" He cheerily replied "OK, daddy!"


	39. Chapter 39-Hold My Beer

**_Chapter 39: Hold My Beer..._**

It turned out to be a rather hectic week.

It started out with trying to explain to James "How the babies got inside Katie" when we got home. I was on my own with that one. She told me "It is not my place to be involved or take part in this discussion. That is a 'parents only' zone and, in this situation, best done by the male parent for that will be his perspective when he reaches adulthood. I will be supporting you in a 'hold my beer' kind of way, though." I didn't understand the reference and I don't drink beer so I gave her a quizzical look. "The famous last words of a redneck are 'Hold my beer and watch this'." I _did_ have to laugh at that. She continued "After he has gone to sleep perhaps you could review the process with me." She smiled and kissed me, said impishly "Have fun!" and went to the kitchen and got a glass of ice water and then outside to read on the patio. I did the best I could to explain it in terms he could understand and would not overwhelm him. He asked questions and I answered them in the same manner. I think I did a good job. Later, after he was sound asleep, I did review the process with Katie to our mutual satisfaction.

We took James to the Natural History museum to see the Dinosaurs on Monday-he enjoyed it immensely and Katie did an excellent job answering all his questions on Geology and Paleontology. She also had a surprise for me in that visit. Attached to the museum is the Cockrell Butterfly Center and Conservatory. In the rain forest habitat there are hundreds of Butterflies flying around amidst exotic plants and a waterfall. She had remembered the stories I told her of my fascination with butterflies as a child-the wonder I felt when I would see a new one and the joy my butterfly collection gave me...which, instead of being a happy memory, was one that was always accompanied by anger, shame and pain. When we entered it she handed me a guide-book on butterflies of the world and a list of those in the exhibit and whispered in my ear "Let the wonder and joy of the butterflies back into your heart and let go of the anger and pain...he can't hurt you anymore. We will protect you." We spent a couple of hours in there trying to see all the species on the list and learning about them. The innocent enthusiasm of James and comforting love of Katie allowed me to let the wonder and joy back into my heart, once I did the anger and pain started to melt away. _It felt good!_

Afterwards James looted the gift shop in a scene reminiscent of the sack of Rome (perhaps it should be remembered as The Sack of Daddy's Credit Card) for presents for his siblings, Louisa, Stephan, Katie and me plus things for himself. I generally do not allow him to do so but this was a special occasion and the items he selected were good. The rest of the day we spent at home relaxing; we all needed it after the last couple of days. James watched and helped Katie as she made her 'soopeersekret recipe' Italian meat sauce, four cheese Tortellini, her grandmother's garlic green beans, salad and Pan Siciliano for dinner with fresh berries for dessert. It was no surprise that James pronounced it his new favorite food, it had already become mine. I had discovered two things since meeting her; one is that man cannot live on fish alone and the other is that she is an excellent cook. After dinner we went for a swim then got in our pajamas and watched the newest Pixar movie with James.

Tuesday James spent the morning playing with Sean and Hanna while Katie and I went to the courthouse then went to see Matsuko. I knew this might be troublesome because she would be undergoing an examination which would mean exposing her scars. I braced myself for it because she would probably do one of two things-try to avoid it or be upset for the rest of the day. Matsuko asked us all the usual questions about medical and family histories. Nothing unusual in either. Then it was time for her to undergo the examination and I was ready for anything I thought, except for her following Matsuko into the room without a problem. I knew it was going to be a while so I went and got some coffee. By the time I got back they were ready for the ultrasound so I went in to join them. We all knew that it was early days and there wouldn't be much to see, etc. but there they were plain as day.

After Katie got cleaned up and dressed she joined us in Matsuko's office. She pronounced her fit and healthy and everything looked normal for gestational age but it was still early days. She had already given her a rundown of what to expect and things that, if they occurred, she was to see her immediately-Matsuko said I already knew the drill so there was no need for her to go through it with me. She handed Katie a doctor's note clearing her to fly as a pilot that was good for 120 days from date of issuance but she was not to engage in any inherently dangerous flight operations and that travel by commercial airliner was OK.

Then she turned to me and said "I have a sneaking suspicion that you are going to be one of those that gets overly protective and fussy, that can be a _very good thing_ and I applaud it but it can also be a bad thing by causing a lot of unnecessary stress. In this case, Martin, you are _not_ the Doctor-you are the partner and soon to be husband. _Try to remember that_." she handed me two prescriptions "Katie and I have already discussed some of the more 'charming' quirks of your personality as it relates to this situation and she asked me to write these for her. If I had a problem with it I wouldn't have written them." One was a prescription for 8 oz. (237ml) of regular coffee per day with 2oz. (60ml) half and half per day. The other was for one 'Fun Size" Butterfinger candy bar per day. I shot an eyebrow up and gave them a dirty look and they both laughed. In this case I followed Sun Tzu's wise advice "_He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious._" We set up an appointment schedule then Matsuko said "Get out of here and go enjoy the day! Sean and Hanna are excited about going on the helicopter ride and to the ranch; we had a very hard time getting them to sleep last night."

We went and enjoyed the rest of the day. Katie's new employer graciously invited us to spend the day at his ranch so we went and picked up the children over at Ryan and Matsuko's home and off we went to the airport. It would be interesting for me because I had never flew in an aircraft she was piloting, she had come to watch me perform surgery in order to understand my job but I had never had to opportunity to see her do hers. The plan was for a leisurely flight up to Brenham to give the children a look at the city from the air, stopping off at one of the buildings downtown to pick Danny and Don up then off to the ranch. There we would have lunch then the children would be treated to an afternoon of pony riding followed by a swim in (from what I gather) his remarkable pool while the adults took a tour of the ranch and relaxed. The children were excited and very well behaved-it was going to be a day of firsts for all of them, helicopter and pony rides.

After the crash I had wanted Katie to give up flying, and now that the situation had changed wanted her to do so more than ever. I decided to not push the subject considering her new job and my previous experiences with Louisa-I did not want to go through_ that_ again. It was essentially a _very_ part time job involving flying Danny to and from his ranch-picking him up at his office on Friday afternoon and flying him to his ranch and returning, then going up there on Monday morning and flying him back. None of the journeys would be above 10,000 feet and Matsuko said that would be fine from her perspective for the time being-it would not be harmful to either her or the children and it would keep her occupied. Matsuko told me privately "Once she gets past five months, if all goes well, more than likely she won't want to be doing much of anything except preparing for their arrival and trying to figure out how to be not-quite-so uncomfortable and tired all the time. Her new job is part time and does not involve anything overly dangerous; she stands a greater chance of being harmed by going down a flight of stairs or driving to the grocery store then flying at the moment. I _will_ ground her if the situation changes-I have already discussed this with her and she understands. She doesn't want to do anything to harm herself or the babies. This is going to be hard on her so let her enjoy as much of a 'normal life' as she can until that time."

When we got to the airport she directed me to the hangar where the helicopter was housed, it had already been taken out and was sitting outside. It was blue and silver and she told us it was a Bell 407GX helicopter. Katie is a very good teacher-as she went through the preflight check she explained to the children what she was doing, why she had to do it and how a helicopter operates in a way that was both understandable and entertaining for them. When it was done we all got in, she put James in the copilot's seat, helped him with his seatbelt and the headset and the rest of us got in back. She started the engine and while it was warming up she explained the instruments and indicators on the control panel and what they were used for-the helicopter had a 'glass cockpit' so some of it was not visible until it had been turned on. She asked the air traffic control for clearance to take off and we smoothly lifted off.

We flew by the port so they could see all the ships, the San Jacinto battlefield, around the medical center, she hovered briefly over our and Ryan's house so the children could see them from the air, then we flew around Galleria area and followed the freeway downtown. During that she told the children to watch the cars below "They think this is a police helicopter so they slow down and drive less crazy." and the children laughed. They were having a great time and were asking all sorts of questions. During the flight downtown someone said on the interaircraft communication channel "Katie, honey, is that you flying Jackson's chopper?" she replied that it was. The voice replied "It's great to see you back in the saddle, sweetie! Say, how did you manage to land Newsbird in one piece?" She glanced at me and said "I have pax on board, will tell you later Steve." Then we flew around downtown landed on top one of the skyscrapers. Don and Danny got in and then we headed off into the countryside. Once we reached the outskirts of town she allowed James to fly it for a couple of minutes. She had told me she was going to do this in private earlier in the morning; I paled at the thought and started to protest. She said "Don't worry, hun! There is _no danger_-I wouldn't do it if there was or I didn't think he could handle it. I will be in control all the time, all he will really be doing is holding level flight and even then I will be ready to take control away from him if he can't handle it. Hell, my dad let me fly the plane when I was his age in much the same manner and the instrumentation and the aircraft were primitive compared to this." He was elated to be allowed to and he became very serious and followed all of her instructions to the letter.

Soon I saw a large ranch with a helicopter pad marked with a big yellow H near the main house and we descended and landed on the pad. The house nearby was huge and in a style known as 'hill country ranch', there were a couple stables, pole barns, assorted out buildings and an old refurbished barn that was obviously used for things other than agriculture. The scenery quite pleasing-rolling farm and pasture land with many Oak and Pine trees. Danny escorted us into his home and then out to the patio by the pool for lunch. The children's eyes all bugged out when they saw the pool and got excited, it _was_ rather remarkable. We had an excellent lunch and after a while a young man in work shirt, jeans and boots came by and asked "Who wants to go on a pony ride?" and it was no surprise that three small hands went up into the air. He laughed and said "Well, let's go saddle up, then! We'll be back in a couple hours." and the children followed him out to the stables after Katie put some sunscreen on them. She had wanted to go riding with them but Matsuko told her not to so she said "I can't go riding so I'm going to change into my skinsuit and go swimming while you guys take the tour and shoot the breeze." We managed to make it as far as lounges under the porch roof by the time she came back and dove into the pool. Don said "That is a really unusual swimsuit...It doesn't leave much to the imagination, Martin, just in case you hadn't noticed!" I _had_ noticed that long ago, what I was noticing now were some subtle changes in how it fit. I was about to tell Don the same thing I told James when he asked about it when Danny said "She probably wears it to hide the scars, I know she doesn't like people to know about them. They _are_ pretty bad..." I looked at him with all sorts of _very_ unwelcome thoughts going through my head and asked "How do you know about them? She tells very few people about them and even fewer have seen them."

He looked at us and said "Let me tell you a story..."


	40. Chapter 40-The Thousand Yard Stare

**_Chapter 40: The Thousand Yard Stare_**

Don and Danny could tell by that I was having some rather _unpleasant thoughts_ and my hands were beginning to form fists so Danny said "Don't worry, its nothing like **_that_**! Why don't we all go for a walk to work off lunch?" We headed out along the path that led to the old barn.

As we walked Danny said "I didn't want her to hear this because I don't think she knows who I am. Well, she knows who I am but she apparently doesn't remember that I once met her _long ago_ and I don't want her to find out. Not just yet, anyway. It would probably upset her."

I was intrigued. "You met her long ago?"

Danny opened up the barn "This is my 'party barn'...I've held some _great_ parties in this place...anyway...A long time ago, I guess it was summer of 1979, I took my dad and a couple friends to Alaska to do some fishing. We hired a man named Charles O'Hara to be our pilot and guide. He was known as being one of the best in the business-you _always_ ended up getting what you came for and had a _good time_ doing so. His reputation was impeccable and was always in great demand. Quite the character and _funnier_ than hell-the guy wore a necklace of polished bone and Grizzly Bear claws! He picked us up in Anchorage with his Otter float plane and with him was his six year old daughter-a rather shy thing, skinny with ringletted chestnut brown hair and striking green eyes but they were _very_ _sad eyes_. He asked us if we minded if she came along with us and we said no, he said that 'Since her mother died it's been just us-her brother works down in South Dakota, her sister ran away and we don't know where she's at. My parents live in Juneau and they take her from time to time but they're getting along in years and it's difficult for them to deal with her and her problems. She is a highly intelligent girl and is rather quiet; she will not be a hindrance to us.' I told her my name was Danny and asked her what her name was and she said, very quietly, that it was Katie. We loaded our equipment into the plane and took off. During that flight I noticed that she said almost nothing and _never_ smiled, which is pretty unusual for a six year old. You ought to know that, Martin, seeing as James is that age. What I noticed the most was that occasionally she had a _bad_ case of the 'thousand yard stare'. I had seen enough of that out of friends who had served in 'Nam to know that something _terrible_ had happened to this little girl."

"I was intrigued and set out to find out what had happened and to try to make her smile. After we landed at the place he had selected for us to fish at he and his daughter set up camp while we relaxed by the fire-after camp was set up they started making dinner for us. I watched them as they did so and saw her crying-well crying isn't really a good term for it. She was quiet but I could tell by the expression on her face that she was in pain and had some tears running down her cheek. My impression was that she was doing her best to put on a very brave face and _not_ cry so everyone else wouldn't get upset. I heard her say quietly to her father as he wiped the tears away 'I'm sorry, daddy, my legs hurt.' He gave her a hug and said 'It's OK, sweet pea. Go into our tent and I will get your medicine and put some more crème on your legs. You'll feel better afterwards.' She did as she was told and Charlie excused himself for a moment to go assist her. He came out of the tent after about 15 minutes and she came out later for dinner. After dinner the adults sat around the fire in the glow of the midnight sun and she washed up and went into the tent to go to sleep."

"We talked around the fire for a long time about all manner of things and heard many funny stories about his experiences as a bush pilot and guide from Charlie. I finally got the guts up to ask him "I know this question may be intrusive and I know it is none of my business but I wanted to know what happened to your little girl. She seems _very sad_ and in pain. Is there anything we can do to help?' Charlie looked into the fire for a couple of minutes, I thought I had offended him and was about to apologize when he sighed and said to the fire 'About a year and a half ago I was in Fairbanks working and I got a phone call. It was from the Homer police. They said that there had been a fire at our cabin; it was in a roadless area across the bay from Homer along Halibut Cove. The cabin had burned to the ground-my wife was dead, my little girl was severely burned and was not expected to live. They had sent her by air ambulance to Anchorage. I busted my ass getting to Anchorage to be with her."

"When I got to the hospital I was met by Rick, one of my closest friends who lived across the cove from us. He told me what had happened as best he knew it. He said sometime in the middle of the night the cabin started on fire, from the looks of it the fire started in the roof. No one knew about it until morning when they saw the smoke across the cove and went to see what they could do to help. There they found the smoldering wreckage of the cabin; they found my wife-in pieces. Apparently after the fire died down something got at her, Rick suspected it was a Wolverine from the way she had been ripped apart. They also found Katie in a snow bank being guarded by our dog, well she wasn't a dog really, she was a wolf that had lived with us since I found her abandoned as a puppy. Katie had named her Snowy because she had all white fur; she _loved_ that wolf... anyway...when they found her she was hypothermic, comatose with severe burns on her legs and covered in blood. They thought she was dead at first because her eyes were open staring off into space, tears frozen on her cheeks. Rick said by the looks of it whatever had come for my wife wanted Katie, too. Snowy fought it off, then laid on her to keep her warm and guard her until help came. Snowy had protected her during that night judging by the wounds she had received-they were mortal and I had to put her down."

"The first week or so she was in a coma and we waited for her to die. She was too fragile to handle them trying to do much to her outside of keeping her alive and treating the burns the best they could considering the condition she was in. The burns got infected and they tried to knock the infection down but due to her age and her physical state itwas a real struggle. I would sit there for hours holding her hand and while I did tears would run down her face occasionally. Streams of them...it broke my heart...I didn't know what to do. She was in a coma but _something_ was going on in her head to make her cry."

"Eventually she came out of the coma but things were still bad. The worst of all was that my normally fun filled, laughing and gregarious daughter was a shell of her former self. She rarely spoke, _never_ laughed and tried _so hard_ to not show that she was in pain. The doctors sent in a shrink to help her and it took a long time to finally get her to tell what had happened that night. She said that she had been woken up by part of the roof falling on her bed. It had started the bed and her nightgown on fire. She was too scared and panicked to jump out the window like we had told her to do in case something like this happened. She screamed for her mother and Annie, my wife, fought through the fire to get to her. Annie opened the window and threw Katie out into the snow bank and was trying to get out the window herself when the roof collapsed on top of her and killed her. Katie said she lay in the snow bank crying and watching the fire-sometimes she said she was floating above herself like a balloon and watching herself lay in the snow. It started to burn out and there was smoke. The light from the fire faded and it became dark-it was quiet and the smoke turned to steam. Then, she didn't know how long after-apparently she had been drifting in and out of consciousness, she heard _something_ nearby. Snowy started growling and she could hear that there was a big fight. Snowy came back but was bleeding and lay on top of her. She could hear _the_ _something_ making a lot of noise and it sounded like it was dragging something through the snow. Next thing she knew was it was morning and Rick and his wife were there and she could hear Rick talking to someone on the radio about 'getting an air ambulance over here, now!' They gently wrapped her up in blankets and she went to sleep, the next thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital. She started sobbing and said 'It's _all_ _my__fault_ mommy died! If I had been brave and jumped out the window like I knew I should have mommy would be alive! I got scared because my nightgown was on fire and was burning me. I am never going to be scared _again_! I must be brave because if I'm not...' She said no more...instead she let out howling wails of lamentation, hurt, pain, anger and shame. They finally had to sedate her and she has not talked about it since."

"She spent the better portion of a year in the hospital. They flew her down to the Shriners Hospital in Salt Lake City but there wasn't much they could do about the scarring-there was too much of it to do skin grafts and she was too fragile physically and mentally to handle them if they could. They did their best and helped her learn how to walk again. My parents, her brother and I went to see her as often as we could but for the greater portion of the time she was there she was all alone. The communities along the bay held fundraisers to help with the hospital bills which were much appreciated but I still had to work to pay them off or they would have taken my plane. How was I supposed to support her without it?"

"She finally came home about six months ago. I rented a house out in Anchorage so she could be close to the doctors and had to send her to school-my wife was homeschooling her before and this was the first time she had gone to a school. The other kids either were scared by her scars or made fun of her. The teachers thought she was 'retarded' because she never talked or showed any emotion at all except anger so I took her out of school when I had finished rebuilding the cabin. I or my parents homeschool her now. She is smart and loves to read, she can 'lose herself' in books and forget about the pain-her current favorite is 'Lord of the Rings', I think she has read that three times from start to finish and is working on the fourth. The words she doesn't know she either looks up in the dictionary or asks me. She also has a natural aptitude for math and science and likes reading high school textbooks and other books on these subjects. Anyway, you asked and I answered..."

Danny walked over to the bar and grabbed a couple bottles of water and gave us each one then continued. "I asked her father how we could help and he said they were 'doing OK and not to worry'. We all knew that was bullshit, of course, but didn't say that to his face. During the rest of the trip I tried to get her to open up, I finally succeeded by doing some really cheesy magic tricks that I had learned when I was a boy. She started talking to me-not about what happened but things in general. She told me the names of the flowers, the trees, the birds, the rocks in the stream. She described how the mountains had formed, how to tell what the weather was going to be by looking at the clouds and wind direction. He was right, she was very intelligent. "

"I saw her reading a well-worn copy of 'Lord of the Rings' one day in camp and I told her that was my favorite book, too. We talked about it for a long time and during that discussion came one of _the most insightful and profound comments_ I have ever heard out of a six year old, or anyone else for that matter. She said 'Everyone thinks the book is about Aragorn, Gandalf and Frodo-it's not. It is really about Sam, Théoden and Éowyn. It was **_the choices they made_** that allowed the forces of good to defeat Sauron. If Sam hadn't gone with Frodo he would have never made it to Mount Doom-Gollum would have killed him long before. If Théoden had not answered the call of Gondor, like he wanted to, Minas Tirith would have fallen before Aragorn could come and all would have been lost. And if Éowyn had not disguised herself as a man and ride to Gondor with Merry the Lord of the Nazgûl would have never been killed. She was the _only one_ who could kill him and Merry was the only one who had a sword of the Westernesse that could cripple him which allowed Éowyn to kill him.'

"I thought this was an opening and said 'Life is like that, it is all about the choices we make. I have had a very hard life, I was not always some fancy-pants rich guy who can pay to go fishing in Alaska. I grew up very poor in a slum and life was very hard-sometimes we didn't have anything to eat for a couple days until my dad got paid. Sometimes we had no heat in the winter and we all had to huddle up under blankets to stay warm. I was angry all the time and ashamed-I could not understand why my dad could laugh and was cheerful no matter how bad it was. He told me 'Son, we can't choose how the cards are dealt for our lives; all we can do is either work with the hand we are dealt or work _even harder_ to try to change the cards. Now, you can choose to be angry or sad or you can choose to laugh. Life is too short to be angry or sad all the time. _I prefer to laugh until life makes sense_. It never will, of course, because that understanding is beyond us _all, _only God knows that-but at least we can enjoy the process. Being happy helps you _change the cards you are dealt_, anger only cements the ones you have to your hand and they, _and you_, will never change.' She sat there for a long time and said nothing, I figured it was best to let her be so I said 'I'm going to go back and join the others, Katie'."

"As I waded out into the stream I slipped on a rock and fell into the water. My waders were full and when I stood up I looked like a guy wearing a barrel, I pulled a fish out of them and tossed it back into the stream. Then I _heard_ it...she was _laughing _at me! Her father heard it and came running, thinking something terrible must had happened. She was sitting in her chair holding her stomach and laughing, her father stopped, knelt down, looked at her and said gently "What's so funny, sweetie?" In between hoots of laughter she said "Danny fell into the water and his waders filled up! He looked like those cartoon men wearing a barrel! He had a really silly look on his face! Then he pulled a fish out of his waders and chucked it back into the stream! It was _so_ funny, daddy!' He laughed and picked her up 'Yes that _is_ pretty darned funny!' It was like a dam had burst-the rest of the trip she laughed and giggled and we discovered that, for a six year old, she had a cheeky, wicked wit that made us all laugh. When we got back to Anchorage her father said to me in private 'Thank you! I don't know what you did or said but it was the key that set her free! I have my daughter back, well, mostly back but that will do for a start. The least I can do is refund your money for the trip; it was worth it just to hear her laugh again!'"

We, of course, refused to take a refund. When we all got back to Texas she became the 'pet project' to all who went on that fishing trip. I had my staff do a discreet search into her father's finances and I secretly paid off all of her hospital bills and all of the rest of his bills, too. I also secretly paid for them to have health insurance coverage figuring that she would need it. He did try very hard to find out who had been so generous but was stymied. My friends and I also had their situation monitored in secret to make sure they were doing OK. She did very well in school and when it came time for her to graduate from high school we paid for her college education in the guise of a 'scholarship' she was selected to receive. She did great in college and got her degrees. Then we 'let her go' to be what she was meant to be and live her life-we eventually lost track of her."

"The day of the explosion I heard her name on the TV as the one who was flying that chopper. I thought to myself 'How many pilots named Katie O'Hara could there be in the world?' and did some checking. It was the same little girl I had met over thirty years ago, all grown up-a pilot like her father and an excellent one to boot. So I decided to contact her and asked if she would be interested in flying my helicopter now that she was out of work-if she was interested she could stop by my office for an interview. She did and I discovered that she had turned into a brilliant, funny woman who had just gotten engaged to, _Surprise! Surprise!_, one Dr. Martin Ellingham-the _same guy _who was Don's little 'pet project'. Don had told me all about you over the years and you reminded me of that little girl with the sad but striking green eyes I had met so long ago. When the time came and Don said you were finally ready to let go of the past I decided to help him out to get you to come here. We talked and laughed for an hour or so, I never let on who I was or that I had ever met her before. At the end of the interview I offered her the job; she accepted but said 'I've heard _all_ about you-I'm _not_ wearing some cat suit and push up rocket bra like Pussy Galore did in Goldfinger. If you want that it's a deal breaker!' She started laughing that same goofy laugh I had heard so long ago and said 'You should see the expression on your face!' and we both started laughing. I said "No...no cat suit and push up rocket bra for you, young lady! What I need is a _good pilot_, not wife number eight! Besides, I've heard of your fiancée-he is a pretty big and tall drink of water. I don't think he would take kindly to some old geezer like me chasing his future wife around. He would probably cut my heart out and try reinserting it into my chest by ramming it down my throat. At least the incision would be nicely done, though-no sloppy hack job...' She said 'Well, OK, then.' and then we both started laughing again."

Danny walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder "And that, young man, is how I know about her scars, that she doesn't talk about them and doesn't want anyone to know about them! Life is sure _curious_ at times...My best buddy from college and I both had 'pet projects' of people who are wonderful, intelligent people with great potential but had been horribly scarred in their lives. People who needed a little help to get over their anger and pain in order to become what they were meant to be. People from about as different backgrounds as you can get and from about as different places as you can get. Both of them coming from just about as far apart as you can get on this earth to the same place at roughly the same time and, by chance, meet in a grocery store over on Buffalo Speedway, of all places. When they do finally meet they find in each other the _very thing_ they were seeking. They were not aware of exactly what it was they were seeking, they just knew they had to find it. Don told me about that little 'fable' Chandra told y'all the other night. She is right, you know...people like you two should not get married at the freaking courthouse! Now, shall we go and rejoin Katie and the children?"

I was astonished. She had only given me the bare bones on what had happened to her so long ago and what Danny had just told me went a long way to fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle that is her. Especially her motto of "Laugh until life makes sense."

Incredible...

We walked back to the patio to find the children enjoying themselves immensely in the pool, Katie was sipping some ice water in the shade and watching over them. When she saw us rounding the corner she came up and greeted us "Hi guys! Have a nice walk? We're never going to be able to pry them out of this pool, you know! This is the best pool ever! Unfortunately we should think about going in a bit, we have to get Sean and Hanna back to their parents. Speaking of...I think that big brother Sean has finally figured out that James _really likes_ his little sister Hanna, he is watching those two like a chicken watc..." She didn't get a chance to finish the sentence, she was too busy being kissed by me.


	41. Chapter 41-Doctor E is in the House

**_Chapter 41:Doctor E. is in the House_**

We were having breakfast when the phone rang, James was 'sharing' some of his toast with one of his new Dinosaurs "grrrrrr...mmmmm...I like toast!" It was Chandra, Foghorn and Claire on a conference call. Chandra said "Good Morning, Martin! I hate to disturb you while you are on vacation but we need your opinion on something..." Foghorn interrupted her "Damn fool wimmen think dey can take dat danged thang out..." Claire interjected "Ohmigod, you gotta see this! It's like the Borg..." They all started talking over one another arguing. I rolled my eyes at Katie and said "Will all of you please stop talking and _one_ of you tell me what's going on." They stopped arguing and Chandra said "Can you log into Skype and the hospital network, please?" I walked over to my office, sat down, and logged in "OK, What do I need to access?" Chandra replied "I will send you the link to the files, one moment..." The email came and I started opening the files "Give me a minute to open everything up and arrange them on my monitors..." I heard Chandra and Foghorn arguing in the background "Damn women!? I hope you _enjoy_ sleeping with Barney in the dog house tonight..." "Aw, but sugah, you wouldn't do dat to little ol' me, wouldja darlin'?" "Hide and watch! You aren't little by the way, you are 6'6" and just about as hairy as Barney..." "And you_love_ it, doncha..." Claire interjected "Dog house? You're being _way_ too nice...I've _seen_ Barney's dog house, it's a freaking palace...I'm surprised he doesn't have his own flat screen and X-Box...stake him out on a fire ant hill covered in honey!" "Damn _sadistic_ woman..."

What I saw was amazing! On first inspection I agreed with Claire's assessment, it _was_ the Borg. I let out a soft whistle "This person is still living?" Chandra replied "Yes. She's walking and talking. 41 year old female who, on preliminary inspection, is morbidly obese. She came in last night to the ER with complaints of severe abdominal cramping, pain, shortness of breath, dizziness and heart palpations. ER ran her through an MRI and CT, found this and immediately admitted her. We had Walid run a full set of scans this morning which you are seeing here, we also did full lab work which is also attached. I estimate that it is about 65 pounds of tumor; lab results indicate it is benign. Note how it has co-opted many of the major and minor blood vessels but, interestingly enough, has grown _around_ the major organs. It is essentially dislocating, suffocating and starving them. I have never seen anything quite like this before. Claire and I think we can remove it but our soon-to-be-sleeping-in-the-dog-house Chief of Surgery thinks it is inoperable. I would like your opinion on this."

I leaned back in my chair with my hand stroking my chin looking at the scans and reports. "Hmmm...possible...Is the patient stable?" Chandra replied "Yes. In fact at the moment you would think that everything that was wrong with her could be cured by a diet and exercise regimen." Katie walked up behind me, put her arms around me, her head on my shoulder, pecked me on the cheek and said "Howdy folks! _Ewwwwww_...that's nasty! Ick, Ick, Ick!" I pecked her back and said "I concur with your diagnosis, Dr. O'Hara. It _is_ nasty...and _very smart_. It is acting more like a parasite than a tumor...trying to keep its host alive as long as possible so it can continue to live and feed. It's running out of room to grow, though..." I sat up in the chair, sighed and said "I would like to examine this patient before rendering an opinion. I will be down at the hospital in 45 minutes." Chandra replied "Thanks, Martin! See you soon." and we all logged off. I looked at Katie and said "Shouldn't be gone too long, I hope." She hugged me and said "It's OK...no rest for the wicked...and you were very, _very_ wicked last night!" I pulled her onto my lap "If I remember correctly you started it by being extraordinarily naughty yourself, I was left with no option but to respond in kind." She started to caress me, getting dangerously close to my 'on' switch and said quietly "I have two excuses, one is that you have that effect on me and two is that I think the hormones are starting to kick in...in fact right now I would_ love_ to..." she whispered the rest into my ear, I could feel my face starting to fight another portion of my anatomy for blood flow, she could feel it too and started to giggle. My face was losing the battle. Katie got up and walked over to James and said "Your daddy has to go in to work for a while; they need him to look at a patient. I am going to go help him get ready, OK? James looked up from his Dinosaur battle "OK! I will play with my Dinosaurs. Can I go, too?" Katie replied "We will follow him down there after I clean up the breakfast dishes; he has to go right now, though." James replied "OK!" I ran up the stairs and Katie followed. As I was putting on my scrubs I thought to myself "_Damn_...if this is indeed one of the effects of the hormones I think I am going to enjoy pregnancy...I may not _live_ through it, but I will _enjoy_ it!"

I was making my way to the nurses' station on the floor where the patient was, Claire saw me and walked towards me as excited as a five year old on Christmas day "Doctor E. is in the howwwwssee! You gotta say yes! We can get it out, I know we can! Foghorn is thinking like a paper pusher, not a doctor!" I looked at Claire as we walked and said "He has to, that's his job. Besides, I am a paper pusher, too." She replied "Yeah, but at least you still like to rise to a challenge occasionally! Inoperable is not a term you generally toss around unless it really _is_ inoperable. Besides, what the hell does Foghorn know; he is a pediatric surgeon when he isn't playing Chief!" Foghorn said in mock anger "I _heard_ that, Dr. Smith!" She laughed and said flirtingly "Je t'aime encore mon gros poulet!" He laughed "You keep that up and I'm gonna go all 'Gomez Addams' on you, then my wife will shoot us both! I think I'd rather sleep in the doghouse..." I shook my head, I knew what she had said in French, I didn't know who this 'Gomez Addams' was. Maybe he is a patient..."Where is the patient and may I see her chart, please?" Chandra handed me the chart and I followed her down the corridor to the patient's room, not paying attention to the 15 or so other people trailing along behind us.

We entered the room and Chandra said "Angelina, this is Dr. Ellingham, our Chief of Cardiovascular surgery. He would like to examine you if you don't mind." I looked up from the chart and said "Good Morning, Ms. Zavala! How are you feeling today?" She replied "OK, I guess. Just tired and a little nauseated. Thirsty, too." I flipped through the chart again and said "If I may, I would like to perform a physical examination of you." She said "Be my guest! Are you English?" I replied "Yes, I am." and started my examination. She kept talking while I worked "I've never met anyone from England before, what part are you from?" I replied as I was looking at her feet and ankles "I am from a part of London called Knightsbridge." I was examining her eyes and she kept on talking. I thought to myself that Katie would call her a 'Chatty Cathy' "You smell nice! Are you married? I don't see a ring..." Done with the eye exam I moved down to the torso "I am getting married on Saturday...now, please tell me if the pain is greater on one side or the other." I poked her on either side at the bottom of her ribcage on her back, the right side elicited a rather loud "OW!" out of her. That answered my question, well I already knew the answer, it just confirmed it. I replaced the covers on her and said "I would like to consult with my colleagues before giving you my opinion, Ms. Zavala. We shall return shortly."

While I was consulting with the others Katie and James had arrived at the hospital. The made their way up to my office and Justine greeted them "'Mornin', Katie! Oh, this must be James! Oh my! You _are_ a spittin' image of your daddy, son! My name is Justine, I am your daddy's administrative assistant which is just a fancy term for secretary. How ya doin' today, James?" James shyly shook her hand and replied "I am really good, thank you! It is nice to meet you! Is daddy here?" Justine smiled and said "He is in a consultation right now but he told me to expect you two. I have something for you, by the way..." She opened a door on the credenza behind her and pulled out a package. "When I heard you were coming I had these made up for you. All the doctors children get a set for 'Take your child to work day' but you were at home in Cornwall when that happened so I made sure that you would get them when you came for a visit." James opened the package to find his own little set of black scrubs, little scrub cap with Dinosaurs on it and a little lab coat with his name stitched over the pocket-James H. Ellingham . His eyes lit up "Are these for me?" Justine smiled "Yes they are, sugar! I'll let you into your daddy's office so you can change into them." James ran around the desk and gave her a big hug "Oh thank you! You are _so nice_!" She hugged him back "Thank you, sweetie! Now let me get up so I can let you into your daddy's office so you can change into them."

Justine unlocked the door to the office "Here ya go, James! The bathroom is right around that corner." He ran off to go change into his scrubs. While he was changing Katie gave Justine a hug and said "That was so sweet of you, Justine, thank you! I know Martin will appreciate it to! You are a good woman! You and your husband are coming to the wedding party, right?" Justine replied "I wouldn't miss it for the world! I have read about the parties Danny Jackson holds at his ranch, there have been some real humdingers! It's nice that you folks are providing transportation up there and  
back, too. It's a long drive from here. Is the party going to have a theme? All his parties have a theme. Well, I guess wedding is a 'theme'." Katie laughed and said "it is going to be a pure Texas Ranch Fiesta. We wanted everyone to be comfortable and enjoy themselves. No formal clothes, just come as you are and have a _good time_! Martin and I will be the only ones in anything that resembles formal attire and that will be for the wedding ceremony only. I don't know, I might keep the dress on for a bit just to shock everyone, most people have _never_ seen me in one before." Justine said "So what's the dress look like? I know you said you weren't gonna wear a 'big white poofy one'. Katie laughed "I'm not telling, you will just have to see it! I know I didn't want to do the whole wedding thing but I can live with the way this is happening. All I got to say is I hope they have a defibrillator in the house, Martin might _need one_ when he sees me in that dress! I don't know why Danny is being so nice to me; I just started working for him. I guess maybe Don has something to do with it, I don't know...anyway, you know the story I am sure. Gossip goes at the speed of light around here. Well, Danny told me to go see this lady at Needless Markup. I went and she took my measurements and shoe size. Then he called up some 'old friends of his' and next thing I knew I had an inbox full of emails from Dior, Givenchy, Cavalli, Channel, Versace, etc. with pictures of gowns and a selection of shoes to go with them. He called me and said "Pick a gown and I will have it sent over. They will send people to help fit it for you. I already have makeup and hair people lined up. Now don't you argue with me! You only get married for the first time once, honey! Take it from a guy who has been down that aisle seven times!"

James came out of the bathroom all suited up in his scrubs. Katie looked at him and said "You really _are_ your father's son, you look just like him!" Justine exclaimed "He certainly does! Now I'm sure you want to go see your daddy, I told Katie which floor he is on and she will take you there." James hugged Justine again and said "Thank you again, these are really cool!" then he walked over to my desk and sat in my chair. On my desk are four pictures- James as a baby, one of him along the cliff path by Port Wenn that I took right before I left, his most recent school picture and one of Katie on the beach at Surfside. Katie knelt down next to him and said "Your father is always thinking about you. He loves you and misses you a lot!" James said "I love him and miss him a lot, too! Let's go find him!" Katie stood up and said, "Works for me! Thanks again Justine and see you on Saturday!"

We were still in the consultation room when Katie and James got there. There was a crowd standing outside looking through the window. I saw them and waved. I was getting frustrated with all the arguing and had about enough. "Look, this woman is going to die one way or the other and soon if that tumor is not removed. Right now she is at the beginning of renal failure and that will have a cascade effect which will kill her because there won't be much we can do about it with that tumor in there. Or, something else fails which will have the same effect. Or, we try to remove the tumor and she dies on the table. Her _only_ option at living past the next, and I am being very generous here, thirty days is to remove the tumor. Is it risky? Highly. Can it be done? I think so. The problem is a plan of attack. You asked me to come in and give my opinion, well here it is. If it were me I would have no real plan of attack, this procedure will be _all_ improvisation. The tumor is just too big and decentralized. The biggest problem in my mind will be the heavy vascularization of the tumor itself and its assimilation of various arteries and veins. Pick a spot in a non-vital location and start working in from there, seal off all blood vessels associated _directly_ with the tumor itself as we go along not only to avoid massive blood loss but to starve the tumor. That will also help us determine the blood flow within the tumor which can guide us as to which areas to remove next as we go along. When we get closer to the organs and the co-opted arteries and veins carefully clear them from the tumor-the vessels will probably be very fragile and friable so repair them if we can and use artificial ones, if needed, to replace them. I know they are not designed for this kind of procedure but they are the only option. My opinion as to chances of successfully removing the tumor? One in ten. My opinion on the chances of this patient living with this tumor past thirty days? _None_. Now I know the question you are all waiting to hear me ask is 'Would I perform this procedure if she were _my_ patient and not Chandra's?' Yes, but I would start it immediately. She is already deteriorating with the beginning signs of renal failure. Right now she is about as healthy as she is going to be. Oh, by the way, I would estimate the time it will take to accomplish this as being between 20 and 30 hours and the patient will be at increased risk from many complications just from being open on the table and under anesthesia that long. The ball is your court, Chandra, she is your patient."

They all were silent, including Claire. Chandra finally spoke "I agree and I will do it only if I have Martin and Claire in there with me. In order for this to succeed I will _need_ you two." Claire had much the same expression on her face as a puppy going to the dog park, she wanted to start five minutes ago. Foghorn was sitting there with his head in his hands "A 10% chance of success is not much, but it is better than nothing...OK, if the patient agrees to the surgery then I will sign off on it." Chandra said "I know Claire is all hot to trot on this one, what about you, Martin? You are the key..." I looked out the window at my son and Katie. James smiled and waved; I could tell that he liked his little set of scrubs. Katie had read the expression on my face and was concerned by the look on hers. I waved at James.

I looked at Chandra, sighed and said "OK, I'm in. I am now going to go explain to my son why I won't be able to spend time with him today. Call me to let me know if she consents to it and what time you plan on starting if she does." Claire wisecracked "I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward, you will service us."

I felt very much that way when I left the room...


	42. Chapter 42-Qapla', bangwl!

**_Chapter 42: Qapla', bangwl'!_**

I walked out of the consultation room and was inundated by the residents and interns hanging about outside. They all wanted in on the surgery. I wasn't surprised. Having this one, if successful, would be quite the feather in their cap and look good on a CV. I just wanted to spend some time with Katie and James before having to spend 20+ hours in the OR. I also had to do some preprep for it if the patient gave consent. I walked up to James and Katie doing my best to ignore the others. I crouched down and said to James "You look good in those! Do you like them?" He replied "Yes! Everyone smiled at me when I walked by and said 'Good Morning, Dr. Ellingham!' to me just like if I was a real doctor! Justine is really nice, I like her! I got to see your office, it's big and you have pictures of me on your desk..." He hugged and kissed me "I love you daddy and I always think about you, too!" I hugged and kissed him back "I love you and that will _never_ change! Now, you ready to go see the operating theatre where I work? After we do that we will go have some lunch." I heard some "Awwww's" from the crowd milling about. James smiled "Sure! This is so cool! What do all the letters behind your name on your coat mean?" I pointed to them as I read them off "MD stands for Doctor of Medicine, MCh stands for Master of Surgery, FRCS stands for Fellow Royal College of Surgeons, FACS stands for Fellow American College of Surgeons and FACC stands for Fellow American College of Cardiology." James's eyes bugged out as I read them off "WOW! You are _so smart_, daddy!" He looked at Katie and said "Do you have lots of letters behind your name? You're really smart, too!" Katie laughed "No, I am not as smart as your daddy; I only have a Master's degree in Geology and a Bachelor's degree in Paleontology, that's all." I picked him up and said "Don't let her fool you, son. I'll let you in on a little secret...she is _smarter_ than me. Let's go, shall we?" Katie laughed and said "Am not!" I looked at her, smiled and said "Are too!" We started to walk down the corridor to the lift, Katie and I repeating "Am not! and "Are too!" at each other the whole way with James giggling at us. The crowd was following us like a litter of puppies looking for treats. As we got in the lift I turned to them and said "Dr. Patel and Dr. Smith will be assigning assistants for this surgery _if_ it takes place. Go bother them! Now..._GO AWAY!"_

I took them down to the surgical floor. Apparently the patient consented because one of the OR's was being prepped for it, I could tell by the extra equipment being brought in and the extra amount of blood being stored in the fridge for it. Judging by the amount in there Chandra was planning on a lot of blood loss. Good, always better to have extra on hand and not need it then to have to send for more. I got Katie and James masks, gowns and shoe covers and Katie a scrub hat, we put them on and pinned James's ones up so he could walk in them. I gloved up. Before I opened the door I said to James "Now don't touch anything in there, it's all sterile. If you want to see something close up ask and I will show it to you. We have to be very careful not to get any germs on anything." He looked up at me, just his grey eyes that look so much like mine showing in between the mask and his Dinosaur scrub cap "OK, daddy! I will be very careful!"

I opened the door and let them in. James exclaimed "WOW! This is so cool! It looks like something from 'Star Trek'! I showed him all the various pieces of equipment and explained their usage; I grabbed a tray of implements and described each one and what they were used for. He saw the big window above and asked "What's up there?" I replied "That's the observation gallery, there other doctors can sit and watch the surgery and learn by doing so." He asked "Can I watch, too? _Please..."_ I was going to say no straightaway but thought about it then said "It will be a really 'icky' thing to see, you might get sick and throw up." He pleaded "I've seen guts, blood, bones and stuff before! I've helped mummy clean fish!" I crouched down and looked into those grey eyes "It won't be the same, son. The fish were dead, the person will be alive. You were going to eat the fish, we want the person to live. There may be complications and it could get really messy with lots of blood and the person might die." He pleaded some more "_Please_, daddy! I want to see you do it and I won't get sick!" I looked up at Katie hoping she would help me out. She looked at me and said "Are you asking my opinion?" I replied "Yes." She said "I would say let him try it, he wants to see and understand what you do, just like I did. I will be with him and if he shows _any sign _of wanting to call Ralph on the big white phone or things are going badly I will take him out of there. But, he has to promise to be on his _very best behavior, _talk quietlyand follow instructions. There will doctors in there trying to learn and I would be willing to bet that one or two of them will cough up a hairball during it." I thought for a minute, looked back into those hopeful, questioning grey eyes and said "OK. But you have to promise me that you will be on your _very__ best behavior_ and follow Katie's instructions to the letter and without _any_ argument. No one can afford to be distracted during this procedure, especially me." He jumped up and down, gave me a hug and a kiss "Thank you, daddy! I promise to be a good boy!" I kissed him back and secretly hoped I wouldn't regret this decision later "OK, Let's go have some lunch!"

We went down to the café and had lunch. Chandra called and said it was on for 2pm. That gave me two hours to prepare. Before procedures of this level of difficulty I try, if I have the time, to meditate for 30-45 minutes before to clear my mind and try to visualize what I need to do in there. Katie knows this so she helpfully said "James, you and I have a couple of errands to run after lunch and then we will come back and watch, OK? It will be a very _long_ surgery and you daddy will be busy preparing for it before it starts which makes it the perfect time to run the errands." He said cheerfully "OK! Do I have to change out of my scrubs?" She said "No, only if you want to." I looked at the time, got up and crouched next to James "I'd better get going. One thing I wanted to mention James is that I, more than likely, won't be able to wave or say hello to you if you come and watch. This is going to be a very difficult procedure. If I can, I will. OK?" James replied "OK daddy! I understand. I love you!" I gave him a hug and a kiss and said "I love you, too! See you later!" I got up and leaned over to give Katie a kiss "See you later, sweetie!" She kissed me and said "Qapla', bangwl'!" I looked at her "What?" She laughed "Claire said the tumor was like the Borg, James thought the operating room looked like something from 'Star Trek' so I thought I'd toss a little Klingon into the mix. It means Success, my love." I gave her another kiss "You are full of surprises, Katie O'Hara!" She said "I embraced my inner nerd a long time ago. Some night I will read you some Shakespeare in Klingon...well actually _you're_ the one who is supposed to read that, I'm supposed to hurl heavy objects at you and growl!" I looked at her, puzzled. She signaled me to come closer and whispered in my ear "Klingon mating ritual." I whispered into hers "You're crazy, but it's a _good_ kind of crazy!" James asked innocently "Why are you going to throw things at daddy?" We both laughed and I said "You're on your own with that one, I have to get going." and headed for the lifts. As I walked away I heard her saying "When a Klingon warrior and a lady Klingon have special feelings for one another..."

In the lift I thought to myself that Don and Robert were right-I will _never_ have another dull moment in my life with her.


	43. Chapter 43-Hominem te esse memento

**_Chapter 43:"Respice post te! Hominem te esse memento!"_**

"God, I _love_ this! _This_ is what I was meant to be!" I thought as I walked into the theatre and took in the scene. All eyes turned to me-Claire, Chandra, the anesthesiologist, the doctors selected to assist, the scrub nurses, the techs who would be maintaining the lasers and other equipment, the 'packed house' in the observation gallery. As I was being gowned and gloved and the eye protection and face shield were being placed on my head a voice whispered in my mind the same words a Roman general would have heard whispered into his ear as he rode in Triumph through the streets of Rome _"_ _"Respice post te! Hominem te esse memento! Memento mori!"-_"Look behind you! Remember that you are but a man! Remember that you'll die!" Then I heard Katie's voice quoting Han Solo "Don't get cocky, kid!" Same idea put in vastly different ways...

I had told Chandra that I thought the best way to do this would be to use the Doppler to determine _exactly_ what was in each area and the direction and nature of the blood flow through it as we went along then use the FEL laser scalpel to isolate portions of that area. Once isolated use regular implements to remove them. It would take longer but the benefit would be that the majority of the blood vessels and capillaries leading into the isolated portion would be cauterised minimizing blood loss. I would use the laser to carve out an area, Claire and Chandra would remove it with them taking care of any bleeders along the way. While they were doing that I would look for the next area to cut. Take away the less dangerous bits first then work on the more dangerous areas until we got down to the organs and their associated vessel-once we got down to there we would see what needed to be done. It might be 'easy' and just need cleaning up and repair or it might become _very_ difficult. If we ran into any large arteries and veins that the tumor had created _within _itself (it was hard to tell exactly what was going on in there with the scans done this morning) they would not be closed by cauterization so we had to come up with a plan for those-they, more than likely, would be friable and frangible and clamps might not hold. In a tumor like this they could be almost as big as most major arteries. During our consultation Claire jokingly suggested to stick a finger in them like the Little Dutch Boy- that gave me an idea. Flask and test tube stoppers-it may not be the most elegant solution but it _just might work_. The weight of the surrounding tissue and its contraction should hold them in place even if the area around the initial opening of the vessel had disintegrated. It didn't make any difference if the vessel and surrounding tissue were damaged by their insertion; it was going to be removed anyway. All that counted was that they held. I had a selection of sizes of new stoppers brought in and sterilized.

Fully 'armored' I walked up to the table where the patient lay prepped and ready. I looked at the most recent scans while listening to the latest reports on the patient's condition. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and stood for a moment to center my chi...Chandra put her right hand out and said "Let's go. Start the surgical clock, 10 blade..." I put my hand out and said "FEL scalpel." Claire quipped "It's on like Donkey Kong..."

By the time we started Katie and James were already out and about running errands. She apologized to James "I'm sorry that you have to come along with me today, you two were supposed to be spending a nice day together while I did all this boring stuff. I know your daddy is not happy that he got roped into this; he was looking forward to spending the day with you. Sometimes things like this happen. I know Chandra would not have asked him to do this if she didn't feel that he was needed to make it possible." James replied "It's OK, daddy used to have to leave all the time to go help sick people when he lived with us. I'm glad he is helping that lady get better." She turned into the parking lot and parked the car and said in a serious tone. "Our first challenge of the day is to pick up our wedding bands-are you up to it, young padawan? We will have to use the force to get through unscathed...I may become weakened, you must aid me to remain strong." James giggled "Yes, I accept the challenge!" They went into the store and, thanks to James, came out unscathed. Once in the car she opened the boxes to inspect the engraving again in the sunlight "They did an excellent job, I'm quite pleased!" James said "Can I see?" Katie handed him one of the rings, he looked and asked "What does it say?" Katie smiled and said "It says 'Ae ú-esteliach nad, estelio han. Estelio ammen.' In English it means 'If you trust nothing else, trust this. Trust us.'" She put the rings in her purse and started driving "You will find as you grow up that to love someone is relatively easy-love comes and goes like a breeze on a summer's day. To trust someone _completely_ comes very hard because you are placing everything that is you, _including your life and your deepest secrets_, in the other person's hands."

She pulled into the parking lot of Central Market and quickly pulled into an open spot close to the store "Wow! You never find a space this close! It's our lucky day! Our next challenge, young padawan, is to do the grocery shopping. We will be sorely tempted by great evil in there, we _must not_ falter! Well, if we do we won't tell your dad about it, OK?" James laughed and hugged her "You make everything fun!" then said in a mock serious tone "We will not fail! If we do, we won't tell daddy!" She laughed "Let's go and face the evil, then!" They put up a brave fight but, in the end, they finally succumbed to the _greatest evil of all_-the baked goods section. James was felled by a chocolate cupcake, Katie by a salted caramel brownie. They eventually made it to the checkout; Katie paid for the groceries and went home. After unloading and putting away the groceries they sat at the breakfast bar eating their hard won treats with a glass of milk each. Katie took a drink of milk "Ah! Cold milk is the _perfect_ beverage to go along with this!" The chocolate covered face of James nodded in agreement. When they finished Katie put the dishes in the dishwasher then helped James get all the chocolate off his face and hands. "Well, you ready to go see what your daddy is up to? We have to remember to get your clothes out of your daddy's office before we go down to watch, Justine will be leaving soon and I won't have a way to get in there to get them." They got in the car and made their way to the hospital.

Justine was just about to leave for the day when they walked in "I'm glad you got here, I was just about to leave. I packed them up and put them in a bag for you. Oh, I also included something in the bag _just in case_-I know you two are going to go look in on that surgery. I wish I had the ticket concession for that one-I'd make a pile of money. Just about everyone has been down there for a look." Katie took the bag and looked inside; in there on top of James's jeans and shirt were two Emesis Bags. "You are a smart woman, Justine! Thank you, I was going to ask if I might get a couple of those." She replied "No problems, honey! I figured they might come in handy. Well, I got to get going, see you on Saturday!" She gave James a quick hug and said "See you on Saturday, James!" He hugged her back "Yes! Thank you again for the scrubs!" Justine locked the door and they went on their separate ways.

I saw Katie and James arrive. We had decided to take a small break every four hours, if possible, to get the circulation moving in our legs again and hydrate-they arrived during our first break. They sat in between Foghorn and Ryan and waved, I waved back. I looked carefully at the expression on James's face to determine his reaction to what he was seeing-he was fascinated, not upset. I could tell he was asking questions and Ryan and Foghorn were answering them. So far everything had gone rather smoothly all things considered. The stoppers worked like a charm, though we did have to cauterize them in on a couple of occasions. There is nothing like the smell of burning rubber and flesh combined and it made one or two of the interns gag so we had to replace them on the retraction team. We had made it down to the right kidney to free it up and that got a bit messy-the kidney and ureter were being squeezed by the tumor, the right renal artery was in need of repair and Claire made quick work of that.

Chandra said "Everyone ready to go back to work?" We all replied that we were and we went back to work. We had been working for about an hour slowly dismantling the tumor bit by bit when we discovered a very large artery generated by the tumor itself. My guess was that it was the main blood supply for the tumor, we couldn't get really good imaging on where it led to but I suspected it was connected to the abdominal aorta near the aortic bifurcation-the blood flow through it was too great for it to be attached anywhere else. We discussed a plan of action-keep working like we had been or try to follow it to where it led then cut it at its source. I wanted to follow it; Chandra wanted to keep going as we had been. We argued about it. I won by pointing out that if it were indeed the main source of the blood for the tumor cutting it off at its source would essentially 'kill' the tumor making it much easier to remove plus the direction that the blood would be draining out of it to may indicate where its major vein was, if it had one. If it indeed had one cut that at its source and then it became much easier to remove the majority of the tumor-it would be dead tissue.

It took us a couple hours to carefully follow it to its source leaving a buffer of tissue surrounding the artery, discussing the best way to close it off at its source as we worked. It all depended on it and the aorta's (or whatever it was attached to) condition. If all was in good condition clamping it off, cutting it and permanently closing it was the best option, leaving a little stump that would not affect anything. If in poor condition we might have to do a bypass-remove it and repair the aorta. If it was attached to something else (and that was appearing less likely as we worked) we would cross that bridge when we got there. We got there and it was attached pretty much where I suspected, we cleared as much of the tumor around the area as we could then took a short break. The patient was stable and the next hours would be critical so we all needed to be as fresh as we could be. I looked up and Katie and James were still there among the crowd, Foghorn was still there but Ryan had left. I waved at them and they waved back. I was a bit concerned because I suspected that neither one of them had eaten dinner beforehand and it was already past James's bedtime. Katie must've read my mind because while James was being occupied by Foghorn she held up a bottle of water and made a sign indicating that James had one too, and then she made signs indicating to me that after we clipped the artery she would take him home, they'd have dinner then go to sleep. James was very animated and didn't appear sleepy or bored.

We went back to work. As we cleared and got closer to the junction of arteries I didn't like what I was seeing. I stopped and said that doing a bypass would probably be the best solution and Chandra and Claire agreed. We set up to perform that procedure. It took us a couple hours to do and when done there was hardly any blood flowing into the tumor, it must have a couple auxiliary connections but those could be easily handled as they were found. We needed to locate and close off the draining veins, too. It was pushing midnight and I looked up and they had gone home. I was glad they had because we still had many hours to go.

I finally got out of there sometime around 5am, clipping the artery had made the rest of the procedure go fairly quickly and I left when it was in the final phases. There was nothing that couldn't be handled by the others and my leaving would allow some of the residents and interns a crack at it. I was tired and hungry. I didn't bother showering, just put on a clean set of scrubs, grabbed a bottle of water and drove home. I would shower there and crawl into bed. When I got home Katie was up waiting for me. She heard the key in the door and was there to greet me as I walked in with a kiss and a cheerful "I've seen road kill that looks better than you do, smells better, too!" to which I replied with a tired "Thanks..." She put her arm around me and said "Come on, babycakes...let's get you upstairs into a nice whirlpool bath-that will make you feel better. I know you must be hungry, too, and I'll make you whatever you want." I kissed her and said "I think a hot bath and a couple of hours sleep will do, I'm too tired and sore to eat now." She helped me up the stairs and sat me down while she filled the tub, I dozed while it filled. I could smell the familiar, and pleasant, scent of the Hinoki and Ginger bath salts she used when her knee was bothering her when she woke me. She helped me undress and get into the tub then got in herself to watch over me if I fell asleep in it, which I did. After I don't know how long she woke me to help me dry off and get into bed. I fell asleep as soon as I hit the sheets.


	44. Chapter 44-He IS Your Father

**_Chapter 44: He IS Your Father..._**

I could tell by the angle of the light coming through the window that it was midmorning-the clock read 10:17am. In the distance I heard laughing, giggling combined with a lot of vocal sound effects and running commentary accompanied by the occasional "We have to be quiet, daddy is sleeping." It sounded like they were playing and having a good time. Despite all I felt rather relaxed-the fatigue and soreness had vanished and the sounds of them playing mixed in with the birds was rather idyllic. I didn't even mind the Dove in the tree repeatedly calling...at least the sound wasn't bringing up ideas for side dishes this morning. I lay there for a while taking it all in and enjoying it, trying to think of an appropriate word for how I felt at that moment. I came up with two words-content and _hungry_. I popped out of bed and headed to the bathroom, performed my morning hygiene routine and dressed.

As I went down the stairs flashes of vivid blue and violet light caught my eye. I saw them out in the back garden having, of all things, a lightsaber battle. I didn't know she had one lightsaber much less two-I guess she really had 'embraced her inner nerd' a long time ago. I thought to myself as I paused on the stairs to watch them "She is certainly full of surprises...and very good with children. Not too bad with a lightsaber, either." Katie saw me on the stairs and said "James, your daddy is up. I have to go in and make him something to eat, he is probably _very_ hungry." Then she said in a serious tone "Our lightsaber training is over for the moment-you have done well, young padawan!" James saw me on the stairs and ran inside, the brilliant blue of his lightsaber following along. I had made my way to the bottom of the stairs by the time he got to me, I crouched down and he ran into my arms, he hugged me, gave me a big kiss and a burst of words flowed from him "Good morning, daddy! I love you! You are _so_ awesome! I could hear all the other doctors talking and saying that they thought you were awesome, too! We watched the operation for a long time and I didn't get sick once, I thought it was so cool! Everyone was really nice to me and called me 'young Dr. Ellingham'! Foghorn explained what was going on while we watched. Is the lady OK?" I hugged and kissed him as I picked him up and headed towards the kitchen "Good morning and I love you, too! I left before the operation was done; my role in it was over. It's probably still going on but everything looked good when I left. I will check later to see how things are going. I see that you have become a young Jedi while I was working. That's a nice lightsaber, may I look at it?" He handed me the lightsaber "I didn't know that you knew what a Jedi knight was...Yes, it is a really nice lightsaber and looks so real! Katie gave it to me this morning. After breakfast we went up to the storage room and she showed me all sorts of neat stuff. She has a Phaser, lightsabers and _real_ swords! She has a Klingon Bathlet, Samurai swords, Orcrist and the sword that Arwen had in the movie-Had...Hadhalf...I can't say its name. She told me it was really Elrond's sword that he inherited from his mum. She has bows, too, and she said she could teach me how to use one sometime if I wanted to learn." He was right; it was a very realistic looking lightsaber and guessing by the construction not a cheap one, either.

We entered the kitchen to find Katie making me an espresso. I sat James down in a chair at the breakfast bar, set his lightsaber down on the table then walked over to her and we hugged and kissed. "Good morning, Jedi master!" I quipped. She smiled and said "Good morning, my love! How are you feeling?" I took the cup of espresso and had a sip "I feel _fine_." She asked "What would you like to eat, you must be starving!" I thought for a moment and said "Just some cereal and orange juice for right now, it will be lunch soon and I'll get back on a regular schedule then." She laughed "I don't know if I can make a bowl of cereal, that's a tough recipe! What kind would you like or do you want me to surprise you?" I sat down next to James "Surprise me." She thought for a moment then poured me a bowl of Raisin Bran, put a spoon in the bowl and brought it and the milk to me, then brought James and me a glass of orange juice. As I ate I checked my phone for messages-there was one from Chandra saying they had just finished up. They got the entire tumor out, patient was stable and doing well, no complications so far. I relayed that news to Katie and James. Katie said "I have something for you, be right back!" and she headed upstairs. While she was gone James asked what we were going to do today. "It'll be just you and me today, what would you like to do?" James asked "Where is Katie going to be?" I replied "She has to have her dress adjusted to fit her and has some other 'girly-no boys allowed' errands to run today, too. Ryan told me that Sean and Hanna wanted to invite you over to their house to play and swim tomorrow, in the afternoon your Aunt Ruth, Chris, Jenny, Robert and Fiona will be arriving from England. Your mum gave Chris your suit so you will have it to wear to be a ring bearer." James said "I like playing with Sean and Hanna-I have so much fun with them! I was going to ask you what I should wear; I only have my play clothes here. I want to look nice for you and Katie!" I gave him a hug "I'm glad that you do, it will be an important day for us."

Katie came into the kitchen with her hands behind her back "I have _a present_ for you! Pick a hand..." I picked right and out from behind her back came another lightsaber, she handed it to me and said "Seeing as James was enjoying his so much it was only fitting that his father have one, too." She did an imitation of Yoda "Hm...The little red button you push, embrace your 'inner nerd' you must! Your destiny it is..." she started laughing then pointed at me and said to James in her best Darth Vader voice "James...He _is_ your father..." James was laughing so hard I thought he was going to fall out of his chair, he did manage to get out a high pitched _"NOOOOO!"_ in between howls of laughter. I shot an eyebrow up and looked at both of them which made them laugh harder...I thought to myself 'Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound...' and pushed the little red button, hoping that the blade didn't turn red, too. It didn't, it was an emerald green. James exclaimed "It's green! Only Jedi masters have green!" he hopped down from his chair and grabbed his off the table "Let's go fight!" and ran outside.

Katie said as he cleared the door "I hope you aren't embarrassed or upset. He told me yesterday that he loves the Star Wars movies and this morning while you were sleeping I showed him all my collectables. He lit up as bright as those lightsabers when he saw them so I thought that a lightsaber duel would be fun for him, good exercise for both of us and keep him occupied until you woke up. I had a spare and thought that giving one to you would make him happy and increase your 'cool' factor in his eyes. _He does love you so and absolutely worships you_." I hugged her "No, I'm not embarrassed or upset. In fact, I think they're pretty cool, too. I just don't know if I can live up to being a 'Jedi master' in his eyes. You've practiced Kendo so have the moves down, I'm clumsy." She kissed me and said "It's easy and you are _not_ clumsy-a clumsy man would have_ never_ been able to do what I saw you do last night. You only _think_ you're clumsy because you are a big, tall man who lived for years in a place that was not designed for one so you were constantly bumping into and tripping over things. You're quite agile and graceful, actually. Anyway, he's chomping at the bit out there; remember that it is a two handed sword and think Star Wars and Akira Kurosawa movies. I'll tell him to observe the 'two masters' until you get the hang of it. I'm going to have to get ready to go soon then you two can duel on your own or do whatever. By the way, these things are pretty sturdy so don't worry about them too much, they _will_ break if you hit it with full force on a tree but for mock fighting they can handle it. They _won't_ handle hitting the pool so be careful around it. They _are_ replaceable but would take a couple weeks to get-they are specially made. Ready, Jedi master?" I looked at her like a sheep going to slaughter "Yes, I guess so..." She kissed me and said "Don't worry, he doesn't care if you have perfect form, he just wants to play and be with his dad."

Outside on the patio the young padawan awaited the masters. "James...We're just going to get warmed up a bit so he can get the feel of the sword, OK?" James replied "OK, it'll be fun watching you fight!" Katie put on safety glasses and handed me a pair, turned on her sword and did a salute with it; I copied her then stood at the ready. She began with simple moves which I parried, within five minutes we were going at it. James was cheering me on "Get her, daddy!" I was working up a sweat and thought to myself "This is easier than I thought and it _is_ good exercise." After a couple more minutes we were chasing each other around the garden in a running battle, at one point she said "You got the hang of it now, let's get back to him before he feels left out." We went back to him and Katie saluted both of us and said "I have to take a shower and get ready to go get my hair cut and my dress fitted. I'll be back in a couple hours. You two have fun!" and walked into the house. We did have fun and I was surprised that I was actually enjoying myself. It was getting to be lunch time and I was getting hungry again so we stopped.

I asked James what he would like for lunch he told me he wanted what I was going to have. I decided on a chicken sandwich, soup and salad. As I was preparing it James asked "What church are you and Katie getting married at, is it a big church?" I replied "We aren't getting married at a church. You remember the place that had all the butterflies? That is where the ceremony will be held. There aren't going to be many people there, just close friends and family. We wanted to keep the ceremony itself fairly private. Then we are all going up to Danny's ranch for a _big_ party and there will be a lot of people there-including lots of children. Sean and Hanna will be there, too. It won't be like your mum's wedding where they had a formal reception with the big cake and everything. It will be a somewhat casual affair with lots of things for children to do. You won't have to wear your suit for that part-you can put on your play clothes and play, take another pony ride or go swimming in the pool." James was all excited by that news "YAY! That sounds like so much fun! I didn't like that part of mummy's wedding. It was boring, we couldn't play and they did silly things like stick cake in each other's mouths." I smiled "It was Katie's idea. She thinks traditional weddings and receptions are uncomfortable and boring, too, which is why she didn't want to have one in the first place. She always wants people to be comfortable, be themselves, laugh and have fun. I have to say I agree with her, I can't remember _one_ wedding that I actually enjoyed attending, including the one where your mum and I got married. Don't get me wrong! I loved your mum and went through it all for her but if it had been my choice we would have skipped the traditional wedding stuff."

I plated up our food and we sat down at the table to eat. James said with a worried look on his face "I heard Katie and Justine talking yesterday. Katie said that she hoped they have a de..defib...the thing that you use to start people's hearts with at the butterfly place." I took a sip of milk and said "You mean a defibrillator? Why did she say that?" James replied "Yeah, that thing! She said you were going to have a heart attack when you saw her in her dress. I don't want you to die!" I laughed and went over to give him a hug "I think she meant that as a figure of speech, she didn't mean it literally. Seeing as you are inexperienced with 'girl talk' I will translate that for you. What she meant is that she will look so beautiful that I will be shocked and surprised. I have never seen her in a dress before, she doesn't like wearing them." James was relieved "Oh...OK! I understand. Why doesn't she like to wear dresses? I thought all girls like wearing dresses." I thought for a moment about how to best answer this question "James, I am going to tell you something that you _cannot_ let Katie know I told you about it nor can you repeat it to _anyone else_. You have to _promise_ me that you won't tell anyone, including her." James looked somewhat scared and said "I promise!"

I picked him up and sat him in my lap. "When Katie was a little girl, about the same age you are, her home burned down. Her mother died in the fire and she almost did, too. Katie's legs were severely burned and the burns became infected. She spent almost a year in the hospital-she was scared, _very sick_ and in a lot of _pain_. It was _so bad_ that they had to teach her how to walk again. For years after she was very sad, in pain and blamed herself for her mother dying-she never talked or laughed and was angry all the time. Eventually she overcame it all to become the person she is today. I admire her for doing so-only a very strong and brave person could come back from the traumas she's been though. The scars from the burns are quite bad so she never lets people see or even know about them because it causes _her_ emotional pain to do so. That is why she never wears a dress and why she wears a skinsuit to swim in instead of a regular swimsuit" James looked at me with tears in his eyes "Oh, daddy! That is _so sad_! I didn't know...Don't they make you sad when you see them?" I wiped the tears from his eyes "Do you remember what Yoda said? '_Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter._' I only see the 'luminous being' that is her. She has helped me in more ways than I can count; she has helped me change for the better and become the person I was meant to be. She has helped set me free from my anger and pain. She has taught me to how enjoy life and to have fun. The most important things that she has taught me are how to like myself, how to laugh and not be afraid. For the very first time in my whole life I can honestly say I am happy, content and at peace with myself..." James hugged me "I love you, daddy! I knew you were unhappy and hurt when you lived in Port Wenn with us but I didn't know how to help. I am glad you moved here and found Katie. You are so happy now-you smile and laugh and are so much fun! And the things you can do! I know you told me what a surgeon was but I really didn't understand what a surgeon did until last night. That was awesome and you are so smart!" I smiled and said "You can be a surgeon or anything you want to be if you work hard to achieve your goals. I will be there to help you in every way that I can. We can worry about all that later, for right now how does a nice swim in the pool sound?" He thought that was a very good idea and we went upstairs to change into our swim trunks.

I would have to say that this day was one of the best in my life. Katie came home to find us swimming in the pool and came down to join us, her new hair cut looked really nice. We alternated between swimming, breaks for lemonade in the shade and running lightsaber battles the rest of the afternoon. As evening set in we all showered and changed into our pajamas and, by popular demand, we had Tortellini, salad and bread for dinner. Then we went upstairs to the third floor media room and had a movie marathon of the original Star Wars movies for James complete with popcorn and lightsabers. I hadn't seen them in decades so I'd forgotten most of what happened in them. By the time the credits rolled on the last movie James was half asleep and Katie and I were tired, too. We tucked James up into bed and went to ours and cuddled until we drifted off to sleep. I thought to myself as I laid there holding her that despite everything bad that had happened in my life this one day went a long way to make up for it. A year ago I would not have dared to dream that I would be so lucky as to have a day like this-a day filled with fun, love and contentment.


	45. Chapter 45-DUMP HER and marry me!

**_Chapter 45: DUMP HER and marry me!_**

The first glimmers of dawn were creeping through the window in pale pinks and dull blues. The other side of the bed was empty, the bathroom door closed. Thanks to decades of medical training and years of being a GP I knew exactly what was going on in there, morning sickness. The sound was a dead giveaway, too.

Everyone I work with thinks that I've already been through all this before because of James. What they don't know is that I didn't even know Louisa was pregnant until she was six months along and she wanted little to do with me during the rest of her pregnancy. This is all as new to me as it is to Katie. I could hear her brushing her teeth and gargling so I knew that she would be returning to bed soon, or at least coming out of the bathroom. I asked myself which would be better for her-me pretending to be asleep and not knowing or laying here waiting for her. I opted for the latter. She came out of the bathroom looking pale and weak and she saw I was awake "'Mornin'…I hope I didn't wake you, if I did I'm sorry." I pulled back the covers on her side and she laid down, I placed the covers back over her and took her in my arms "No, you didn't wake me and I'm sorry you were sick." She snuggled up to me and said "No need to be, it comes with the territory. It hasn't been too bad, actually-it usually hits right before dawn when there is little in my stomach. Most of the time I just wake up feeling very queasy and it passes then I go back to sleep. Must've been the popcorn." I stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head hoping what I was about to say didn't make her angry "You were on the go for most of the day yesterday and did a lot of exercising in between swimming and dueling. Your body is going through a lot of changes and will continue to do so, you are going to have to slow down a bit and rest more often." I must've unconsciously tensed up while saying that because she said "Why should I be angry at you for telling me the truth? I _know_ I have to slow down and rest more. I was just having so much fun with you two yesterday that maybe I overdid it a bit. My stomach is doing back flips…and I _hate_ throwing up!"

I held her as she went back to sleep, watching the day begin as the light on the wall intensified and the birds started singing, including my friend the Dove. I was deep in thought and absentmindedly stroking her hair when I heard a soft knock on the door and a quiet voice say "Are you awake, daddy?" I softly said "Yes I am, come in quietly-Katie is still sleeping." He came in, crawled onto the bed next to me and gave me a kiss and whispered "Good morning, daddy! Is Katie sick? She looks like she is." I put my arm around him and kissed him back "Yes, she is but she'll feel better when she wakes up. She just needs to sleep for right now. Hop down and I'll get up and make us some breakfast." He did and I gently put her head on a pillow and slid out of bed. We went downstairs and I made breakfast for us. While I was doing so James said "We should make breakfast in bed for Katie!" I thought about it for a moment then told him "I don't think so, at least not today. The reason why she is doesn't look well is that she has something called morning sickness and she might still be sick when she wakes up." James thought for a second then said "Oh…mummy had that! She didn't want to eat breakfast except for a slice of toast. I heard Stephan and mummy talking about it but we didn't know mummy was going to have a baby then, we just thought she was sick and got worried. Do all mummies get sick when they are going to have a baby?" I replied "Most of them do, some get really sick and some get just a little bit sick like Katie. It is because of all the changes that go on in their bodies to aid and nurture the new life growing inside them." James thought about this for a moment "Daddy, I'm glad we're boys! Having babies doesn't seem to be much fun." I tousled his hair and said "I'm glad, too! Some day you will become a daddy, too. When that time comes you have to remember that it is very hard on a woman to have a baby. You will have to do all you can to help her in all sorts of ways because she is giving you a _great gift_-a son or a daughter. You will have to give them extra love and cuddles when they feel down, be there for them when they feel sick and take on extra duties in the house because as time goes on they will be very tired and it will be hard for them to do things that they used to be able to do. After the baby is born you have to help her take care of it and, as you will soon find out when your mum has her baby, little babies are helpless little creatures that need lots of love and care. In your mummy's case when you get home you must be an extra good boy, give her extra cuddles and ask if you can help her with things that she does. After she has the baby ask if you can help her with taking care of it-that will make her happy and you will learn about babies so when the time comes for you to be a daddy you will know what to do." James smiled at me and said "I will, daddy! Mummy said that she has a little girl inside her. What does Katie have inside her?" I smiled and said "We don't know, yet. It is too early to tell."

I could see Katie coming down the stairs and judging by how she was doing so knew that she was feeling better. She rounded the corner to the kitchen and I got up to give her a big hug and a kiss "Good morning, sweetheart! Feeling better?" She kissed me then snuggled up to me, closing her eyes and putting her head on my chest "Mmmm…this feels good…and I am feeling better." We stood like that for a moment then parted. She walked over to James and gave him a hug and kiss "Good morning, young padawan! I hope you slept well!" He gave her a hug and a kiss "Yes I did and I'm glad you are feeling better! Can we make you some breakfast?" She smiled, sat down and thought for a moment "Yes…that would be nice!" I asked her as I walked to the kitchen "What would you like?" She smiled and said "Oh, I'm easy! A bowl of Wheaties and some juice, I think I'll skip my prescription coffee for right now." James brought the milk, serviette and spoon and I brought a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. She smiled, nodded to us and said "Thank you, kind sirs!" As she ate we discussed all we had to do today. I had to drop James off at Ryan and Matsuko's, go pick up my suits and tux, had a few other errands to run (including one that I didn't want her to know about) then around 3pm I would be picked up by the limo to go to the airport to greet our guests. Katie would be getting things ready here, bake some fresh bread and pick up some fresh items to prepare for dinner. I knew that they would have a good dinner on the Danny's jet so we opted to just have a lot of different things on hand and make them what they wanted. James would be enjoying a fun day playing with Sean and Hanna-it was quite kind of Ryan and Matsuko to invite him over, they knew we had a lot to do today. Katie would go pick up James about the same time the plane landed so he would be at the house when we arrived.

At about 10am we went our separate ways. I dropped off James, picked up my suits and tux then headed down to the hospital to pick up an item that I had locked up in the safe in my office. I talked to Justine for a bit about the department budget we were working on then put scrubs and a lab coat on to head off to check on the tumor patient. I saw Claire standing at the nurse's station, she saw me walking towards it and greeted me with the now familiar "Doctor E. is in the howwwwsse!" followed by "What the hell are you doing here? Don't you have better things to do then hang around here or did you forget you are getting hitched tomorrow." I replied "Good morning, Claire! No, I haven't forgotten, I had to come pick up something that I was hiding from Katie and thought I would come and check on how Ms. Zavala is doing." Claire gave me an impish glance and said "Ooooh! Not even married yet and _already_ you're hiding things from her! So, what did you get her? Come on, spill it!" Chandra walked up and said "Good morning, Martin! What's this I hear about you hiding things from Katie?" She gave Claire a mischievous glance and said "Half the state couldn't _avoid_ hearing about it." I sighed "God, don't you two have better things to do then to grill me about that?" Claire and Chandra said simultaneously "No." and the nurses who had been witnessing this bit of banter laughed. I sighed and pulled a small box out of my pocket "Well, if you _must_ know..." and opened it. They crowded around to inspect the contents of the box. Chandra said "Oh My! That _is_ beautiful, Martin! You're a true, old school, romantic at heart, you know that don't you?" Clare quipped "Dayum...DUMP HER and marry _me_!" One of the nurses said "Take a number, Dr. Smith!" I closed the box, asked for the patient's chart and started heading for her room, Claire and Chandra walked with me. So far everything looked good and, surprisingly, no real complications had cropped up.

We entered her room, her parents and daughter were there visiting her. "Good afternoon, Ms. Zavala, how are you feeling today?" She looked up and said "Oh, Hello again, Dr. Ellingham! I'm feeling good and thank you for everything!" She turned to her parents "Papa...mama, this is the doctor I was telling you about." Her father walked up to me and shook my hand "Thank you, sir, you saved our daughter! I am indebted to you..." Her mother came up to me and gave me a hug that I thought was going to crack a vertebrae "Gracias, señor!" Her little girl looked at me and shyly smiled. "Thank you, it is most appreciated! If I may, I would like to perform a quick examination of you" Angelina said "Sure, go right ahead!" her parents and daughter started to leave and I said "There is no need for you to go, I will be brief." I took my stethoscope out of my pocket, put it in my ears and listened to heart and lung function, checked her eyes, checked the glands in her neck for swelling, and general coloration. I also checked her ankles and feet and looked at the monitor for blood pressure readings. "Everything looks good, Angelina. You are healing nicely with no discernible complications and your kidney has returned to normal function. Doctor Patel and Doctor Smith did an excellent job! Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get to the airport. It was nice seeing you again, Angelina and it was nice meeting you all." I looked at Chandra and Claire "We will see you two tomorrow." I turned to walk out of the room and Angelina said "Thank you again, Dr. Ellingham, and good luck!" I looked at her and said "Thank you!" and left. I went back to my office and changed back into my street clothes, Justine was at lunch so I left her a note saying that we looked forward to seeing her tomorrow and headed home.

I arrived home to find Katie relaxing on the sofa in the living room, her major chores done and waiting for her bread dough to finish rising. I hung my suits up and sat down next to her "How are you feeling, sweetie?" She gave me a kiss, looked at the clock, straddled me, pulled off her shirt and started to unbutton mine "We have about an hour before you have to leave for the airport, do you have any ideas as to how we can best utilize that time?" It turned out that I did have an idea or two...


	46. Chapter 46-The E-Ticket

**_Chapter 46: The E-Ticket_**

We lay there spent and coated in sweat; the musky scent of sex permeated the room. The soft mutterings of Stan Getz & Laurindo Almeida's version of 'Corcovado' drifted up from downstairs. She stated giggling "Who the _hell_ needs to go to Disneyland, I got the _best ride_ in the world _right here_! I'm gonna start calling you The E-Ticket!" I started giggling, too "Wow...You know you're going to end up giving me a heart attack!" She laughed "Look on the bright side, if ya gotta go it ain't a bad way of doing it! Fortunately for you I know CPR _and_ I have a set of jumper cables! I'd have to drag your body downstairs to the car, but..." she couldn't finish the sentence, she was laughing too hard. The mental image of her standing over my body trying to remember which cable went where made me start laughing, too. I was ready for round two and was turning on my side to initiate it but my eye caught the time "_Damn_, I have to get ready to go! That limo will be here soon." She gave me a quick kiss as we hopped out of bed "I'd better strip these sheets off the bed and light some incense. Anyone who walks within 10 feet of this room will know _exactly_ what was going on in here!"

I got in the shower with a snippet of the lyrics of 'Corcovado' going through my head

_I who was lost and lonely,_

_Believing life was only_

_A bitter tragic joke, have found with you_

_The meaning of existence oh, my love._

How true...I _had_ believed life was a bitter, tragic joke until I moved here...until I met her...

It had turned out to be a rather hot and humid day but I decided the best thing to do was suit up. I was learning that it may be hotter than the bowels of hell here in the summer but the nice thing is that _everything_ here is air conditioned and they know how to do air conditioning right. I decided on a grey suit, white shirt and deep red tie with the red and gold Bulgari cufflinks. I came out of the bathroom to find her putting new sheets on the bed and the rather pleasant scent of Japanese incense wafting through the air. She smiled at me and gave me a soft kiss "Go get 'em, tiger!" then pinched my bum. I pinched hers and said "See you in a bit!" then went downstairs. The doorbell rang just as I hit the landing at the bottom of the steps, 'Cantaloupe Island' by Hugh Masekala softly played in the background. I opened the door and the limo driver said "Good afternoon, sir! The car is at the end of the driveway. If you will follow me, please, we will get underway." I thanked him and followed, he opened the door for me and I got in. This was Danny's personal limo and it was done in the same interior scheme as his jet, thankfully. Some stretch limo interiors can be very garish. On the way to the airport I thought about how my aunt was going to react to everything and to Katie. I knew Robert and Fiona loved her and I was sure Chris and Jenny would, too. The worry was Ruth. She was no fool and was very blunt so I had to mentally prepare for this; I had already filled in Katie as to what she was like so she could be prepared, too. I found that my thoughts kept on drifting back to the events of this afternoon and it was hard to concentrate on the task at hand.

We arrived swiftly (by Houston early Friday afternoon rush hour standards) at the executive air terminal. The driver opened my door and said he would be waiting for us there. I walked into the terminal and the attendant said "Good afternoon, Dr. Ellingham, it is so nice to see you again! The plane is running slightly ahead of schedule and all is prepared." I thanked her then went to get an espresso and took a seat in the terminal to wait, catching upon the news of the day via internet while I did so-my mind still drifting back to our bedroom a couple hours ago. A flash of copper caught my eye, the plane was here. The ground crew went about their business and a skycap went out with a luggage cart. I stood up and went to the window to observe, closed my eyes and took a deep breath to center my chi in preparation. The customs agent arrived and greeted me. They started to deplane and I moved towards the door, I could see that they were a bit shocked by the heat and humidity. I noted that Ruth was looking well and had that same crooked smile on her face that she always has when she was about to enjoy some vicarious entertainment which indicated to me that she was in a good mood. That was a _very good thing_.

They came through the door-I shook hands with Robert and Chris and both Fiona and Jenny gave me a hug. Jenny exclaimed "My _God_, Martin! You look ten years younger and, dare I say it, very happy!" I replied "Thank you, Jenny! You are looking quite well yourself. Yes, I can honestly say I'm happy!" I walked over to Ruth and gave her a hug, not an 'Ellingham hug' but a real one, which slightly startled her. "I am so glad you could come, Aunt Ruth! You are looking well." She said dryly "Hello, Martin. I concur with Jenny's assessment." She poked my gut and said with a knowing grin "You've lost quite a bit of weight, I see-added a bit of muscle, too." I was about to reply but the customs agent said "Excuse me, sir. I must perform my duties. If you will please follow me I will process your papers and luggage." We followed and he efficiently processed their entry into the United States. When done I said "Please follow me to the limo and we can get you home and comfortable." They followed and we went outside to the limo, the driver popped out and opened the door for us and we all got in. he helped the sky cap load the luggage into the boot of the car and tipped him. Soon we were on the road to our home on Blue Bonnet Boulevard, making small talk along the way and I answered questions about what they were seeing. I pointed out the TMC and indicated which building it was I worked in. The journey went rather swiftly seeing as we were driving against traffic and soon we arrived at home. Those who had not been there before gasped and asked if that was indeed my home and I said yes.

The driver and the men grabbed the luggage and I escorted them into the house, the smells of fresh cut flowers, bread baking in the oven and just a hint of Japanese incense filled the air-the sounds of 'It's For You' by Pat Metheny playing softly in the background. I thought to myself she knows how to use the senses to make a home seem inviting from the moment you walk in. James and Katie were sitting on the floor playing with his Dinosaurs on the coffee table, having a mock battle between a T Rex and a Deinonychus. James was all cleaned up and tan from his day of fun and was in a pair of denim shorts and a sky blue polo shirt, Katie was in jeans with her maroon ranger belt and a sage colored soft cotton boat neck tee shirt. Both were barefoot. When James saw me he ran towards me like a blond haired rocket "Daddy!" I set down the luggage and crouched to catch him, we hugged and I picked him up "You remember everyone, don't you?" He excitedly said "Yes!" and greeted everyone with a hug and a kiss. Katie stood back, taking in the scene with a smile. I said "For those who have not met her yet, this is my fiancée Katie O'Hara." She walked up to the group and greeted them and said after the introductions were done "We have your rooms all prepared if you care to freshen up and get comfortable. If you have forgotten any toiletries there is a selection placed in the bath for your use. Please follow us and come down when you are ready." She turned to James and said with a laugh "No sneak attacks on my Deinonychus while I'm gone!" He giggled and said "I won't!" She took Aunt Ruth's bags and we all went upstairs.

After we got them all sorted and they were unpacking and freshening up I changed out of my suit and into jeans and a lightweight cotton shirt. Katie and I were going downstairs to join James. At the top of the stairs I took her into my arms and kissed her passionately, she responded and wrapped her arms around me. We kissed for a minute or two then parted breathlessly. "You know the thoughts of earlier have been driving me crazy all afternoon, you best be prepared for round two tonight." She smiled and said "Mmmmm...You weren't the only one thinking about that. I don't know about tonight, though. It would be rather unseemly for the bride to be walking funny down the aisle. I'm already going to have enough problems wearing those shoes!" I laughed and hugged her "Oh, Katie...I love you so! You make me feel so _good_; you make me feel young again!" She caressed my cheek "I love you, too! Remember what Groucho said, hun? 'You're only as old as the woman you feel.'" We laughed as we went downstairs.

The sky was beginning to glow in the oranges and reds of the coming sunset; it was going to be a beautiful, breezy, warm early summer night. It reminded me of the dream I had and I now knew where the two children were that I saw in it. We were out on the patio enjoying some fresh squeezed lemonade watching James watch the Koi in the pond and waiting for our guests to come down. I reached over and touched Katie where our children were and said "This reminds me of the dreams we had. It is all so strange...and wonderful!" She touched my hand and caressed it "I was thinking the same thing. I don't know how or why we had them, but I'm not going to argue with it. I'm so _happy_ and I _love_ you so much!" We stayed like that for a bit until our guests had started trickling outside, all looking refreshed and comfortable in lightweight resort wear. My Aunt Ruth even had on a lightweight pair of Capri pants and a French sailor's shirt on! Katie asked them what they would all like to drink and they all agreed that the lemonade looked wonderful. She went in and brought a pitcher full of lemonade along with glasses full of ice and lemonade that she had already poured. After giving everyone their glasses she was just about to sit down when the doorbell rang. She looked at me and asked "You expecting anyone to stop by?" I replied "No, though I wouldn't be surprised if Don did. He said he might, he hasn't seen Chris and Jenny in a long time." She went off to answer the door and a few moments later I heard her shouting "Omigod! Omigod! Omigod! over and over again...


	47. Chapter 47-A Sign of the Apocalypse

**_Chapter 47: A Sign of the Apocalypse_**

Everyone turned to see what the commotion was about, all I saw was Katie hugging and kissing some man on the cheek, she was obviously very happy to see him. Needless to say I wasn't very happy about what I was seeing so I went in to find out what was going on. This man was about 5'10', short grey hair and solidly built. I walked up to them, trying desperately to remain composed. "Um…Hello…what's all this then?" Katie laughed and said "A very pleasant surprise that is a sure sign of the apocalypse!" My face must've given away my feelings, she looked at the man then at me and giggled "Put the bullwhip down, sweetie, this is my brother John! John, I would like you to meet my fiancé Martin Ellingham…Martin, this is my brother John O'Hara." Relieved, we shook hands "So you are the one who finally managed to tame my feral baby sister, never thought I'd see the day! It is a pleasure to meet you finally!" I replied "I've heard so much about you and we're glad you are here! I know it means a lot to her, please come join us out on the patio. My aunt and friends just flew in from the UK."

We headed to the patio and introduced John to everyone and he shook hands with all while I got him a lounge chair and Katie poured him some lemonade. James was getting bored with all the adult talk and went to go play with his toys by the Koi pond. Chris asked Katie for a refill and said "Your sister tells us that you are a pilot, too, except that you are a corporate pilot. I'm not quite clear on the differences." John replied "The easiest way to think of it is that I'm a glorified limo driver and she's a glorified FedEx driver. Actually I really don't fly as much as I used to, I'm chief of flight operations for Peter Crosby. I manage all of his aircraft and pilots. I do fly when I feel like it, though, and Mr. Crosby is rather generous to allow me to use his aircraft for personal reasons from time to time. Like this week, I told him that I wanted some time off to go to my sister's wedding and he said "Take the 767 and fly them to wherever they want to go. I don't need it until Thursday. So I did. I assume you two are going somewhere..." he looked at us and said with a grin "If I can land it there I'll take you. The thing is a flying palace." Katie said "Well, we do have to go to Cornwall to take James home to his mum and Martin's Aunt and friends need to return to London and Cornwall that day, too." John asked "How long is the runway at Exeter?" She replied "I think about 7,000 feet." He thought for a moment and said "It'll fit...I can land there and drop you off, then continue on to London and drop the rest off. I need to park it there anyway..." She then flashed a big smile and started nodding at him "Can I fly it? Nothing like getting a couple of hours of time on a 767 to toss in the ol' log book. Can I? huh, huh, huh..." He laughed and said "Are you rated for it?" she replied "Of course not! I'm a high latitude prop jockey! It's the same stuff, just a different way of doing it. Aw, come on! You wouldn't deprive your baby sister now, would you?" She gave him a mock sad face, he sat back, stroked his chin and said "Well, I suppose you do know the basics of flight...I guess I could let you, I'm certified to instruct on that model. You have to promise not to fly it under any bridges, though!" She laughed "Where am I going to find a bridge large enough to stuff that thing under? Hmmmm...I'll have to look..." He laughed and said "Don't even think about it! Haven't you already gotten in enough trouble for that kind of stuff already?" They both laughed and he said "By the horrified expression on your fiancé's face I'm guessing you never told him about that little escapade. Well..." Katie said "_Shut_ _Up_, John! He's already freaked out enough as it is after I had to dump that chopper!"

James came back from the Koi pond and asked "Daddy, are we going to eat soon? I'm hungry!" Katie laughed and said "Are you folks hungry? I didn't know what you might want so I bought a selection of meats and fish to cook." She listed off what we had on hand and said "I'll get the pit going while you think about it. Want to help me, James?" He said "Sure!" and followed her to the summer kitchen. Jenny poured herself some more lemonade "Ruth is right, you have lost a lot of weight and put on some muscle. You're in great shape! Been working out?" I poured another glass and refilled the others glasses, as I did Katie came out bearing another pitcher of lemonade and an ice bucket and took the empty one away "No, just working hard. The hospital is huge and I do a lot of walking to get from one place to another and, as you know, being a surgeon can be a bit more strenuous than being a GP. I've had a couple rather long procedures which have forced me to miss a meal or two. In fact this week I was called back in to assist on an operation and I was in there for 15 hours. I also have been doing a lot of swimming." Robert said "We heard about that one at Imperial. Stoppers? A rather unusual and creative solution to a difficult problem. How did you come up with that one?" I told them the story about Claire and the Little Dutch Boy. Aunt Ruth chimed in with a glint in her eye, sometimes she has all the tact of a bull in a china shop and loves stirring things up..."I would imagine that Katie keeps you rather 'busy', too. I saw you two on the stairs a couple of hours ago-a rather ardent display of affection. I never knew you had _that_ in you-wholly uncharacteristic of an Ellingham...I also observed you two out here before coming downstairs and the body language was very interesting and quite telling. Is she pregnant?" I felt my face turn colors to match the sky "Um...yes, she is." Ruth replied "Congratulations and I can tell what you are thinking. No, I am not going to make a comparison to the situation between you two and the situation between you and Louisa. You don't need a Ph.D. in Psychology to tell that your relationship with her is totally opposite to the one you had with Louisa." My friends congratulated me, her brother got up and went into the kitchen and that worried me. I got up to follow and shot a look at Ruth, she had that grin on her face that told me she was 'enjoying the floor show'.

As I walked towards the door I thought to myself 'I know he is highly protective of her, he may start throwing punches...lovely.' I opened the door and he hugged her as I did. Katie smiled at me "Oh, my poor baby! You thought he was pissed off, didn't you?" John laughed and said "Sorry...I had to ask her for myself if it was true. I'm shocked! My baby sister is going to be a mom and I'm going to finally be an uncle...and twins to boot! I thought this would never happen..." He took my hand and shook it "Congratulations!" he turned to Katie and said "I guess that you going up to Coronation Bay to train my pilots is out, now?" She replied "I don't know, I have a clearance to fly but it depends on what Matsuko says. Of course, this guy might not approve of it, either. He is a bit over protective of me, just in case you haven't noticed. I could tell by the expression on his face that he was ready to punch your lights out if you were giving me any grief." She put a hand on each of our shoulders and pushed us towards the door "Now...you two get out of my kitchen and allow me and my assistant to get on with preparing dinner."

John and I rejoined the others on the patio. Ruth looked somewhat disappointed that the 'floor show' didn't end up in fisticuffs. Fiona said "Well, that is a relief. We all thought that something was wrong and were worried. Anyway, how far along is she?" I replied "Six weeks...we didn't think it would happen that fast, if it did at all, considering our ages." Chris looked at me and said "I must say that we were all rather concerned when you decided to move here because it was such a radical change and wholly uncharacteristic of you. But, I must admit, it has been the best thing that has ever happened to you. You are now doing what you were meant to do and have finally found the woman you were meant to be with. I think that I can speak for the whole 'UK contingent' here when I say we are all elated for you! We have all known you for a very long time and know how much you have suffered over the years. It is good to finally see those burdens lifted off your shoulders to uncover the man we all knew was buried under them." Ruth added "Joan would be exceptionally proud and overjoyed to see what you have become if she were still alive. I also know that she would absolutely adore Katie, too-they are cut from the same cloth in many aspects." She started grinning that grin of hers and I knew the next thing out of her mouth would probably be rather embarrassing "I can almost hear Joan now 'Thank god you found a woman that could finally fix your plumbing, Marty!'" I did what Katie would call a "facepalm" and they all laughed. John said "I better get this out while she isn't here because I know it might upset her. I am glad she has found you, Martin. She has changed so much since she met you, she is becoming the person she should have been all her life. I know that you _know_ what she has been though in her life and I meant what I said in the kitchen. I never thought I would see the day when she would finally be happy and start to forget all the pain, hurt, anger and guilt. She is a kind hearted, sweet, funny and loving person who has been buried under traumas too great for most people to bear... She is finally the sister I knew again, not the dying little girl in the snow bank.."

He was interrupted by Katie and James coming out of the kitchen with platters and bowls, James was carrying a pan with the wood wet wood chips and happily babbling away at her and asking questions. I got up, went over to her, put my hand on her back "Is there something I can do to help?" She smiled and said "Sure! It's going to start getting smoky out here once I start cooking, perhaps everyone would be more comfortable inside. The table is already set thanks to my assistant, here. Maybe you can ask them what wines or other drinks they might want to have, too." She looked at James and said "Thank you, James; you have been the best assistant ever! Could you help your daddy with things in the house? It's going to get really smoky out here and I don't want your eyes to sting and hurt." James and I escorted everyone into the house while she readied the pit. We went into the kitchen and everyone took a look in the wine cooler to select the wines they would like with dinner and I gave everyone a quick tour of the rest of the house. James fetched his new pride and joy to show everyone, his lightsaber and telling everyone that "Katie and daddy have one, too! We had lightsaber battles all day yesterday, it was so much fun! Katie and daddy had a big duel and daddy won, but Katie said he cheated because he used a Jedi mind trick on her." Aunt Ruth and the rest of my friends all looked at me like I had just turned into a Wookie and laughed. I looked at them and said "It's basically Kendo with a lit up Bokken-James had a lot of fun, it was good exercise for all of us and we enjoyed ourselves." John asked to see his lightsaber, got up and showed him the same basic maneuvers that Katie taught me then he called out "Hey, sis! Come here for a second." Katie came in from the kitchen and smiled knowingly "Ah! My young padawan is showing his weapon to everyone." John asked "This is a nice lightsaber, who made them for you?" Katie replied "Just a second and I'll go get his email addy for you." She ran upstairs and John gave James's his saber back. "That is a good lightsaber! Use it well, young padawan!"

Katie came back down with hers and another one (God, how _many_ does she have up there?) and handed it to John. "Here ya go, bro! The color will suit you!" He turned it on, it was red. John laughed "Oh, you think I have gone to the dark side, eh?" She laughed "_A_ _long time ago_, Darth Jetjockey!" John asked "How much time you got before the pit is ready?" She said "Oh, about 10 minutes." John looked at her "Just enough time to defend my honor, Master Propellerhead! Get your butt out on the patio and I'll show your young padawan how it is done." She grinned evilly "Plenty of time to kick _your_ butt, _old man_! Let's go!" John kicked his shoes off and took off his shirt then followed her out to the patio, trading insults the whole way. James ran after them with the same look he has on his face on Christmas morning. Aunt Ruth said as they went outside "Jedi mind trick?" I smiled and said "I told her she had a Wasp on her shoulder and she looked. I proceeded to decapitate her. I paid _dearly_ for it later..." Ruth smiled knowingly "I can _imagine_ you did. Was the couch comfortable?" I looked at her "To sleep on? I _wouldn't_ know..." and smiled, thinking of how she made me 'pay' for that...Chris started laughing "Oh, my god! _No one_ back home would ever believe this...Martin Ellingham, Jedi Master! I _love_ it!" Everyone laughed, including Ruth.

Outside we could see them salute each other then started circling, looking for an advantage-then the battle began. They weren't mock fighting; it was a pure Kendo duel in whirling red and violet light. Fiona remarked "They are really going at it out there; I imagine that this is not the first time they have done this." I replied "He used to practice Kendo and taught it to her when she was a child as a fun way of helping her regain her balance and the use of her legs after the fire..." Jenny asked "What fire? What are you talking about?" _Dammit_, I thought to myself, I slipped up! "You must _not_ mention this to anyone or to her, it still causes her pain. I will give you the short version for now. When she was 4½ her home burned down. She watched her mother die in the fire and she almost died herself. The 'dying little girl in the snow bank' that John mentioned before was her. Her lower legs were severely burned and she lay in a snow bank for hours before she was discovered. Her family lived in a remote area without roads and her father was in Fairbanks working. She spent almost a year in the hospital, most of that time alone in Salt Lake City which is a couple thousand miles from where they lived. They couldn't do grafts so she has some bad scars and they had to teach her how to walk again." Jenny said "Oh that is horrible! Poor woman! It must've taken her a long time to get over something like that." Ruth said "That explains a _lot_..."

The battle ended with Katie blocking a slash by John and slashing his legs in one move. They bowed to each other then hugged and walked towards the door arm in arm. "Oh, that was so much fun! You didn't do so bad for such an _old man_!" John laughed "I let you win! Gotta be nice to my _baby sister_!" She pecked his cheek "I know you did, I saw you look at your watch! I'm going to grab a fresh shirt and get the stuff on the grill..." John pecked her back "I'm going to clean up, is there a bathroom down here?" She replied "Just off the office, fresh towels in the linen closet." They went their separate ways and when done cleaning up John rejoined us and Katie stopped by to tell us that dinner would be ready in about 20 minutes then headed for the kitchen. John said as he sat down "I've been sitting behind a desk too long...she was kicking my butt out there."

While she was cooking I went out to her, gave her a quick kiss and asked "Anything I can do to help?" She smiled "Yes, please! Could you start grabbing the salads out of the fridge and put them on the table and get everyone rounded up. Everything is almost done." We enjoyed a delightful dinner of Rum glazed prawns on skewers, Alaskan salmon prepared in her own marinade, Rib eye seasoned with her own spice mixture, roasted vegetables, corn on the cob, assorted salads with 'mini' Pan Biga's and fresh fruit for dessert. The table conversation was interesting and witty, even James enjoyed it and didn't get bored. Our guests adjourned to the patio while Katie and I cleaned up the aftermath and started the dishwasher. After a while the effects of a good meal and the jet lag for our guests and a long, fun day for James started kicking in and they all headed for bed. We made the futon up in her office for her brother and bade him good night then headed off to bed ourselves. She took a shower before to wash off the smell of the smoke while I read the latest issue of the ACC Journal. When she was done she came into the bedroom wrapped in a towel, I looked up at her. She dropped the towel to the floor and said playfully "Ready for round two?"


	48. Chapter 48-Silver Wedding part 1

**_Chapter 48: It's a Nice Day for a Silver Wedding-part one_**

I awoke to the sounds of the shower running in the bathroom. Katie's day would be much longer than mine so she needed an early start. Her sister Mary is seriously ill and in the hospital so will not be able to attend. Her best friends, Karen and Pat, will be her bridesmaids and both of them are arriving this morning-Karen is flying in from Minneapolis and Pat is driving in from Brenham. Due to the somewhat rapid flow of events they could not come sooner-both of them own businesses and could only come at the weekend. Once Katie leaves for the airport I will not see her again until I see her waking towards me in her dress. They will be at the Hotel Zaza in the suite Danny rented for them to use to prepare for the ceremony. There she and her friends will have brunch and a 'catch up' then, as Katie put it, they will be donning the 'full feathers and war paint'. Her friends will choose which dresses, shoes and accessories they want to wear from the same designer that provided Katie's dress (She isn't telling which one-she knows I would look him up on the internet to try to figure out what it might look like. She wants it to be a total surprise). The dresses they choose will then be fitted to them and all of them will have their hair and makeup done by the team that Danny had flown in from Paris.

My day will be somewhat easier. It will start as soon as Katie gets out of the shower. I got out of bed and retrieved that small box that I had secreted away. I opened it and looked at it again, hoping she will like it. I think she will and I hope it will go with her dress. I had my jeweler hunt down another Alexandrite that would match the one I obtained for her engagement ring and had him design a setting to match it to be used as a necklace. Knowing her tastes I told him that it should be simple and described what length of necklace she prefers-ones that falls at the base of the neck, he used the term 'choker' to describe that length. I think he did an excellent job-a simple platinum setting that matches her ring on a thin platinum wheat chain. I heard her turn the water off followed after a minute or two by the whirring sound of her toothbrush and the sound of the blow dryer. I knew she would be coming out soon so I hid the box under the pillow and feigned being asleep. She came out of the bath wrapped in her towel to get dressed, the towel fell to the floor and she looked over at me and smiled "Enjoying the peep show? I _know_ you're awake." I propped myself up on an elbow and smiled "I would enjoy it more if you were closer." She giggled "If I get any closer I would probably end up having to shower again. Evil, _nasty_ man trying to tempt the virtuous bride into his bed in order to take her virginity before the wedding." I laughed and said "Those particular horses have already left the barn and I'm pretty sure that those children you're carrying were conceived the _good old fashioned_ _way_ and not immaculately." She looked down and put a hand on where they were and said "No..not immaculately but it _was_ a heavenly experience…I'd better get dressed or I _will_ be tempted..."

I got out of bed and walked over to her. "I wanted to give you this…" and held out the box. She gave me that sideways look with twinkling eyes and a smile that I call her "What have you done now?' look and took the box and opened it "Oh…_It's beautiful_! You _shouldn't_ have, you silly, wonderful man! I love you! Help me put it on…" I took it from the box and put it around her neck. It fell perfectly and looked very beautiful on her, especially in the outfit she was wearing which was nothing at all except her ring and the necklace. She stood on her tippy toes and kissed me and that kiss was starting to develop into a kiss that would lead us back to bed. We parted and she whispered "We'd best not start something we can't finish…at least not right now. I really have to get going or I will be late to pick Karen up." I smiled and whispered "We _will_ …tonight." She replied "Yes, we will!" and smiled. She proceeded to get dressed and I headed to the bathroom to take a shower-a cold one.

By the time I was done with my morning hygiene routine and went into the bedroom to dress I found that she had stripped the sheets off the bed, sprayed the new sheets with her linen spray, made it up and was gone. I smiled and thought to myself 'we do make a mess of the sheets'. I checked to see if anyone else was up yet and no one was so I headed back to the bedroom and laid out what I was going to wear for the day. My Aunt Ruth had given me my great-grandfather's black opal and etched gold stud and cufflink set he had made for him when he was stationed in Egypt so I was going to use them instead of my normal onyx and platinum ones. I had my tailor make me a new tuxedo before I moved and had it adjusted last week. I was polishing and buffing my dress shoes thinking that if there was one good thing that comes from being from a long line of Royal Navy surgeons is that you instinctively know how to polish shoes properly. James came in, sat down next to me and gave me a kiss "Good morning, daddy! What are you doing?" I kissed him back and said "I'm polishing my shoes, bring me yours and I will do them, too." He hopped down and ran off to his room to fetch them. He came back and handed them to me and I showed him how to put a military polish job on them.

Aunt Ruth drifted by the door and came in "Good Morning, Martin! Good Morning James! I see you are showing James how to polish his shoes; it reminds me of my father showing me how to polish mine." She saw my tux hanging on the stand and the open box with the studs and cufflinks on the dresser "Oh, you are going to wear them! Good! I had a very difficult time keeping those out of your father's clutches. My grandfather left them to me in his will but Christopher said that they should go to him seeing as he was the 'male heir'. Your father is a real piece of work, Martin. Of course, _you_ know that better than _anyone_ else." James said "I asked daddy once why his daddy never came to see us, mummy's daddy came when they let him out of prison. Daddy said he would not allow him to because he is mean and cruel." Aunt Ruth looked at me with sad, knowing eyes then looked at James "He is _very_ mean and cruel and your father wants to protect you. I know you may not understand it but know that in this case your father is doing the very best thing for you by not letting his father anywhere near you." I desperately wanted to change the subject before James started asking questions so I said "Shoes are done, let's go have breakfast!" Aunt Ruth picked up the cue and asked James what he wanted for breakfast and he said "Mummy makes pancakes for us on Saturday morning. I like pancakes!" I thought to myself that making pancakes for one might be a bit of a pain so I said "Have you ever had French Toast? Or, as Katie would put it [I put on my best cheesy French accent] 'ze toast ov luv'." James giggled and said "No, mummy never made that for us. Is it good?" I put my cheesy French accent back on and said "You vill luv ze toast ov luv!" James giggled and said "You are _so_ funny, daddy! Let's go make 'ze toast ov luv'!" and he headed downstairs as swiftly as he could without running. Aunt Ruth smiled at me and said "You really _have_ changed, Martin! It seems that you have finally caged your greatest demon of all. I don't think it's totally gone yet but it no longer affects you the way it did. _Good for you!_ Does she know?" I didn't want to talk about it but had no other choice "I have never told her, but I think that somehow she just _knows_ and won't mention it before I do. She does say things to me to reassure me and let me know that she will always protect me and never allow anyone to hurt me ever again. All I have to say is heaven help him if ever darkens our door for I am pretty sure she would shoot him dead where he stands. She would shoot him and she would _enjoy_ it." Aunt Ruth said "If anyone needed killing it is that _monster_ that is my brother. I will testify in her defense if she does."

When the others started trickling downstairs Ruth and I were having espresso and James was enjoying his 'toast ov luv' and had pronounced, in his best cheesy French accent, that 'he luved ze toast ov luv'. I had made it the way Katie had shown me using the Pan Biga she made yesterday with a bit of vanilla, a pinch of allspice and some cinnamon sugar (for flavor and carmelization) added to the batter. Served with sliced fruit and berries on top lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. When John saw what James was eating he said "Ah! Katie's French Toast… she makes the best 'toast ov luv' I've ever had! You like it, James?" James looked up and nodded enthusiastically. John laughed and said "Wait until you have her blueberry pancakes, they are to die for!" The rest thought 'ze toast ov luv' looked good so I started making it for them. Fiona and Jenny helped me get everything else ready and John made espressos for everyone.

While we were eating breakfast I laid out a rough timetable of the events of the day. We had the morning and early afternoon to ourselves. The ceremony would be at 3pm, the ceremony will be conducted by one of Danny and Don's old school chums from Harvard who is a justice on the US Supreme Court. Afterwards we would get into the limos for the drive up to Danny's ranch. Jenny was uncertain of what the proper dress would be for a 'Texas Ranch fiesta' would be so I explained it to them. "It isn't a 'cowboy hats and boots' kind of thing; I've discovered that is a stereotype-at least with the people I know. What it means is that you wear lightweight, comfortable casual clothing like what you wore last night on the patio. It will be a hot day and a warm night so you would be uncomfortable and sweat to death in suits and formalwear. You will find that the Texans in the crowd will be wearing their best boots; though-most of the ones you will see worn are specially made and cost thousands of dollars. Both of us want people to be happy, comfortable and enjoy themselves-there will be none of the boring silliness associated with a traditional wedding such as speeches and, as Katie put it, 'the whole cake thing'. Katie hates cake so there won't be one, instead there will be an old style soda fountain so she can have a 'proper Root Beer float'." At that John laughed and said "That _does_ sound like her!" We all laughed at that then I continued "The food will be pure Texan, though. Danny has hired the world champion barbecue team to do the barbecue and a team of chefs from Papasito's to do the Tex-Mex. He has an old barn that he has converted into a 'party barn'-it has a full bar, full facilities, is air conditioned and is quite nice. Outside of it he has a large patio surrounded by large Oak trees that have tree lights in them and a small bandstand for live music. There is plenty of room for dancing or just sitting outside and enjoying the evening. The children will have their own area and supervised activities so their parents can relax and enjoy themselves and the children can have fun." Chris remarked "That does sound like a fun evening! I'm with you and Katie on the whole traditional wedding thing; it's boring and uncomfortable for _everyone_." He cringed and waited for Jenny to swat him, instead she said "After having gone through it once and attending many others I would have to say I agree with you, honey." and gave him a hug and a kiss. Fiona smiled and said "I don't know what it is about this house and this place…It has been a long time since I have laughed and enjoyed myself as much as I have since arriving here." I looked at her and said "Welcome to Houston, Fiona!"

The rest of the morning we relaxed and swam. At noon we had a light lunch then we all started to dress for the ceremony and pack our clothes to wear at the party. Fiona and Jenny graciously offered to assist James with his suit so I could concentrate on preparing myself. I showered and shaved then put on some cologne to give it the time it needed to dry down-I generally don't wear scents but this is a special occasion. For a woman who spent most of her life in a baggy flight suit she sure does know a lot about fragrances and their effects. She noticed the effect that _special_ perfume of hers has on me (She would've had to be _dead_ not to notice!) and she got some samples of men's colognes for me to try. Most weren't right with my body chemistry, then we tried Heritage by Guerlain and she exclaimed "_BINGO!_ We have a winner!" then proceeded to ravish me. I had _never_ been ravished before…I found the experience intensely pleasurable and didn't mind that she had ruined one of my dress shirts in the process. I did laugh when she told me to 'close your eyes and think of England'-I didn't close my eyes and England was _nowhere_ to be found in my thoughts during that. I dressed and put my shoes on then checked how I looked in the mirror, everything was in place and I thought I looked good. I double checked that I had the rings and the little handmade nest that Katie had purchased instead of a traditional pillow for them then headed downstairs. Everyone was waiting on me and as I walked down the stairs Fiona and Jenny whistled at me and the men laughed. When I got to where they were gathered Fiona exclaimed "What _is_ that cologne you are wearing? It smells _fantastic_!" I was about to reply to her when the doorbell rang and John said "It's show time!" I went to the door and the driver greeted me "Good afternoon, sir! Are you ready to go?" I said "Yes, we are." And we all walked to the limo and got in then we were off to the Museum.

Once inside the museum Danny and Don were there to greet us with their friend that would be conducting the ceremony. They introduced themselves to the others and we all shook hands. Danny said to John and and Robert "I will take you to where the Katie and her friends are so you can escort them. Follow me!" I had given Chris a copy of the reading we had selected for him to read already and Don said "I will escort you to where the ceremony will be held, if you will all please follow me." As we walked I thanked Justice Adam Ross for presiding over our wedding and he said "It is my pleasure! I rarely get to do things like this anymore and I enjoy them. I know that Danny told you the story about Katie; I am one of those who was on that fishing trip and became her secret 'guardian angels'. The other is here, too, a man named Jimmy Larkin. Now, do you have a copy of the ceremony you wish to be performed and, of course, your marriage license?" I handed the paperwork over and said "I think I have heard of Jimmy Larkin before, just can't quite place the name." Adam said "Wall street tycoon, entrepreneur, financier and venture capitalist-has made more money than god. He bought tons of Apple and Microsoft cheap then sold out at the right time, same with the dotcom boom in the '90's and the real estate boom in the '00's. Invested heavily in precious metals when they were cheap. It's like he has a sixth sense about those kinds of things. I know he has made all of us a pile of money, I don't know how he has done it with mine because I am required to keep that in a blind trust-all I know is that it's doing quite well. He isn't one for the limelight, he lives quietly and spends most of his time on his ranch out in the hill country now."

We walked into the rain forest conservatory and to where the ceremony would be held by the waterfall, stood next to Chris and James. I handed James the little nest with the rings and he beamed a big smile at me. There were chairs set up for the guests and I noticed three bearded men I had not met before-they must be her pilot friends that she worked many years with around the globe. She will be happy they managed to come; she said they weren't sure they would make it in time. Chris poked me to get my attention and I saw the Don escorting a ginger haired tall woman with mirthful eyes and a big smile on her face. It was Pat. I had met her before; she had come and stayed with us a couple of times. They arrived and Don went to sit with the others. Then Robert came with a petite brown haired woman with a dark complexion, she too had mirthful eyes and a big grin on her face. This must be Karen; I had never met her before but knew her voice.

I saw a flash of silver though the vegetation and then I saw her! Oh my god! She was right, I thought to myself, they better have a defibrillator nearby because my heart was beating a million miles an hour in my chest. _She was gorgeous! Magnificent!_ She was wearing a floor length, long sleeved dress, high necked dress made of small, very shiny silver plates in a delicate herring bone pattern that hugged her beautiful, sexy shape _perfectly_. It looked like she was clad in liquid silver from her neck to the floor, when it reached the floor the small plates melted into different shaped ones with a small train that made her look like she was rising from the earth. The only jewelry she had on was her ring and the necklace that I gave her this morning, I needn't have feared that it wouldn't go with her dress-it was impeccable. As she approached her dress started to take on a faint greenish glow from the light reflected by the plants and the sunlight hit the stone on her neck and shot out rays of a deep teal blue and wine red. Her hair was done perfectly in waves that accentuated her face and Oh! Her face...The makeup was subtle and natural but made her look like a 1940's movie star…a young Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn came to mind. I was overwhelmed-she looked like a goddess come to life!

They finally arrived and her brother put her hand in mine and we turned towards Adam. As we did so she whispered "I clean up pretty good, don't I?"


	49. Chapter 49-Silver Wedding part 2

**_Chapter 49: It's a Nice Day for a Silver Wedding-part two_**

I noticed right away that she was wearing her _special_ perfume and that added a couple more miles an hour to the speed my heart was beating. I was trying my best to remain composed and not pass out. I heard a gasp and murmur from our guests, I turned my head glanced back to see what might be amiss then I saw it! The dress had a big cutout from her neck to the small of her back exposing her creamy, soft skin with her one small mole. That added more miles an hour to my heart.

Adam cleared his throat, put on his reading glasses, opened the booklet with the ceremony script in it, looked at each of us with a smile then began….

"We have come together for the marriage of Martin and Katie. May they continue to deepen their life and love for one another. Marriage begins with the giving of words. We cannot join ourselves to one another without giving our word. And this must be an unconditional giving, for in joining ourselves to another, we also join ourselves to the unknown. Let us all extend our joy to you on this happy occasion as you are about to take a new step forward into your lives. It is our hope that your fulfillment and joy in each other and in yourselves will grow with every passing year."

"The First Reading will be from the works of Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet and Mystic. They will be read by Karen, Katie's best friend from childhood and Matron of Honor."

Karen stepped forward, smiled at both of us and said:

_The minute I heard my first love story_

_I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was._

_Lovers don't finally meet somewhere._

_They're in each other all along._

She stepped back to her place and Katie and I looked into each other's eyes and smiled. I gave her hand a slight squeeze and and Adam continued…

"Courtesy and consideration even in anger and adversity are the seeds of compassion. Love is the fruit of compassion. Trust, love and respect are the sustaining virtues of marriage. They enable us to learn from each situation, to grow and realize that everywhere we turn we meet ourselves."

"We nourish ourselves and each other in living by the five precepts:

_In every way we can, we allow our deepest Self to appear._

_We take full responsibility for our own life, in all its infinite dimensions._

_We trust in the honesty and wisdom of our body, which with our love and reverence always shows us the true way._

_We are committed to embracing all parts of ourselves, including our deepest fears and shadows, so they can be transformed into light._

_We affirm our willingness to keep our hearts open, even in the midst of great pain."_

"The Second Reading was written by Pablo Neruda and will be given by Chris, Martin's best friend and best man."

Chris stepped forward, blushed slightly then began:

_Two happy lovers make one, single bread,_

_One single drop of moonlight in the grass,_

_When they walk, they leave two shadows that merge,_

_And they leave one single sun blazing in their bed._

Chris stepped back to his place and smiled at us, his bald pate had a rosy glow to it. In the corner of my eye I saw Katie smile and raise her eyebrows. I knew she wanted to giggle and was trying very hard not to…Adam continued…

"Now it is time for Martin and Katie to exchange their wedding vows. Who holds the rings?"

James stepped towards Adam and said "I do!"

Adam smiled at him and said "James, may I have the rings please?"

James held the small nest up to Adam so he could take the rings then looked up and gave us a great big grin. We both looked at him and smiled.

Katie started giggling softly and said "I'm _really sorry_….There is a butterfly on my back and it's tickling me!" I looked and there was a Rice Paper butterfly wandering around her lower back. I didn't quite know what to do. I knew that she was very ticklish in that area and didn't want her to have a giggle fit but I didn't want to harm the butterfly, either. She looked at me, trying very hard to control herself, then turned slightly and said to those assembled "Sorry, but I'm going to do something _very_ un-bride like before I start giggling…" She shimmied a bit, the dress made a tinkling noise and the butterfly flew away. All of us laughed, she looked into my eyes, tried very hard to compose herself and was losing that battle. She giggled then took a deep breath and said "all better now, let's light this candle!'

Adam looked over his reading glasses her and laughed, then cleared his throat and said "Let's continue, shall we? We will begin with Martin's vows to Katie…"

I turned towards her, held her hands, looked into those beautiful green eyes and said:

_From this day on, I choose you, my beloved Katie, to be my wife._

_I promise to love you with an open heart and to laugh with you with abandon._

_To be at your side and sleep in your arms; to be joy to your heart, food for your soul, and wine to your spirit;_

_To encourage the best in you always and, for you, to be the most that I can be._

_I promise to laugh with you in good times, to stand alongside you in bad;_

_To console you when you are downhearted;_

_To wipe your tears with gentle fingers;_

_To comfort you with my body;_

_To mirror you with my soul;_

_To be your loving companion beyond the walls of life and beyond the bounds of time._

Adam held out his hand, the rings lying on his palm and said "Please place the ring on Katie's finger."

I placed the ring on her finger, straightened out her engagement ring and smiled. Adam continued…

"And now Katie will make her vows to Martin…"

She held my hands, looked up at me and into my eyes with a tear in hers and said:

_From this day on, I choose you, my beloved Martin, to be my husband._

_I promise to love you with an open heart and to laugh with you with abandon._

_To be at your side and sleep in your arms; to be joy to your heart, food for your soul, and wine to your spirit;_

_To encourage the best in you always and, for you, to be the most that I can be._

_I promise to laugh with you in good times, to stand alongside you in bad;_

_To console you when you are downhearted;_

_To wipe your tears with gentle fingers;_

_To comfort you with my body;_

_To mirror you with my soul;_

_To be your loving companion beyond the walls of life and beyond the bounds of time._

Adam said "Please place the ring on Martin's finger." She took the ring from his outstretched palm and placed the ring on my finger, caressed my hand, looked up at me and smiled.

Adam smiled and said_ "_The Third Reading entitled "Apache Song" will be read by Pat, Katie's best friend."

Pat stepped forward, looked at us with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes and said:

_Now you will feel no rain,_

_For each of you will be a shelter to the other._

_Now you will feel no cold,_

_For each of you will be warmth to the other._

_Now there is no loneliness for you, _

_For now there is no more loneliness._

_Now you are two bodies,_

_But there is only one life before you._

_Go now to your dwelling place and enter into your days together._

_And may your days be good and long on earth._

She stepped back to her place and pulled a tissue out of her sleeve and daubed her eyes. We smiled at her and gave her a comforting look. Adam read on…

_"_Martin and Katie celebrate their love and proclaim their union. Their rings of precious metal represent the subtle and wonderful essence they find by losing themselves in each other, and the subtle and wonderful essence they find individually, through their mutual love, respect, support and joy. May they cultivate a long life together, not only in years, but in all the infinite dimensions of each moment they share."

"May you live long in good health and joy…By the powers invested in me by the United States of America and the great state of Texas I now pronounce you husband and wife"

"You may now kiss."

We turned towards each other and kissed a beautiful, loving kiss, my hands caressing the soft skin of her back. When we parted and turned to face our friends and family members. Adam spoke…

"I have the honor and privilege to present to you for the very first time Dr. and Mrs. Martin Ellingham."

Our guests applauded and we kissed a long, lingering kiss. Not surprisingly Claire piped up and said "Get a room!" We parted and Katie laughed said "Shut it, Claire!" I shook hands with Chris and Robert and thanked them for being my best man and groomsman, then I shook Don's and thanked him for standing in as a surrogate father. We started mingling with our guests and I heard Katie cry out "_Phil! Russell! Ken! You made it!_ I'm so happy! What do you think of the old hulk, not too shabby, eh?" A man who I later learned was named Phil Miller gave her a big bear hug, swung her around and said "We just flew 7,000 miles bouncing around in a Dreamlifter just to find out what you looked like out of a flight suit…it was worth every mile! Dayum, woman! You were smart to keep all that under wraps or we would have been constantly fighting guys off to protect you! Would've probably been fighting each other over you, too!"

Danny announced "Our transportation is here to take all of us up to my ranch for the party, if you will kindly follow me we will get underway and get the party started!" We all followed Danny to the entrance of the museum, the other visitors watching us go by. Danny directed Katie and I to his personal limo, the limo driver opened the door and smiled at us. We got in and sat down and the driver shut the door. Somewhat confused I rolled down the window and asked Danny "Where is James?" He laughed and said "We'll take him in the party bus, he'll be OK. You two need a little time to yourselves. Enjoy!" He tapped on the roof of the car and the driver started to drive. I rolled up the window, put my arms around Katie and said "You are _so beautiful_ and I love you so…" and we let our kisses and caresses speak for themselves all the way to Danny's ranch. There was no further need for words…


	50. Chapter 50-Aphrodisiac

**_Chapter 50: Aphrodisiac_**

The car stopped and we came up for air. Katie and I looked around, the car was parked in front of Danny's ranch house. I remarked "That was quick." Katie laughed "Time flies when you're having fun, hun! I must look a mess with all the teenager style 'getting to second base' we've been doing back here…Oh, could you zip up the back of my dress, please?" She looked in a mirror "Not too bad…" fluffed up her hair a bit, straightened her dress out and put a fresh coat of lipstick on. She took a tissue from her small purse and started to wipe the lipstick off my face. I had discovered during the drive out here something I was very glad I did _not_ know at the ceremony. While we were embracing I ran my hands around her bum and didn't feel anything on underneath. It was hard to tell because of the nature of the 'fabric' (which I had discovered was all small rectangular sequins of various sizes stitched to a fabric base) so I asked "What _are_ you wearing under this?" She giggled and said "That's for me to _know_ and for you to _find out_." I found out it was _nothing_ at all…

The driver opened the door and I got out and helped her get out. It was comfortably warm with a pleasant breeze and in the beginning glow of the sunset her dress was taking on a golden hue. After my initial, heart pounding, reaction to it I found that the more I looked at it and watched her move in it I thought it was the perfect dress for her. When I first met her I thought she had no idea of just how beautiful and sexy she is and the effect she has on men, it turned out that she knew _quite well_. She has a sinuous, natural, athletic and almost animalistic sexuality to her that she keeps buried-understandably so after hearing the comments from her pilot friends. She had to in order to be accepted in her line of work and to be able to survive in the places she has been where women are rare and beautiful ones even more so. I had asked her during the drive up here why she had selected that dress and she said "When I saw it I fell in love with it and it is quite comfortable to wear and move in-it is a simple, timeless design that can be worn for just about any formal function and be fashionably acceptable. Combine that with the fact that it is about as _far_ as you can get from the dreaded big white poofy dress was an added bonus. I knew that it would take on the colors of the natural world that surrounded it from the light they reflect-the greens of the plants, the blues of sky and water, the oranges and reds of the sunset and later on the silvery glow of the moonlight. I also knew it would _knock your socks off_! She then said with a grin "Mission accomplished!"

As we stood waiting for the others she remarked "It's shaping up to be a glorious sunset and a beautiful night…Altocumulus, Cirrus, Cumulus, a bit of altostratus with some scud and contrails mixed in…it will be orange and red ending in pink, peach, mauve, deep blues and violet…a perfect night to fly! All that would be needed would be some Noctilucent clouds to make it perfect, but you won't see those here." After a couple minutes the buses carrying the others started to arrive, James came running over to us as soon as he got out. I crouched down to hug him and picked him up. He gave me a big kiss "I had so much fun on the bus with everyone and Danny told me about all the fun things we're going to do tonight. I can't wait!" I said to him "Well, let's go get you out of your suit, young man, so you can go have fun. You worked hard for it today." I looked at Katie and said "I'll go help him get changed, be back in a couple of minutes." and gave her a kiss. She gave James a kiss on the cheek and said "Thank you for being our ring bearer; you were the best ring bearer _ever_!" James smiled and said "You are so pretty and you make daddy so happy!" She kissed him again and said "And you are very handsome, young man!" then she kissed me and said "Your daddy makes me very happy, too!" I took him inside to the bedroom that Danny had set aside for us to use to change clothes in and got him into his swim suit and escorted him down to the pool where there were already 20 or so children playing in the pool, including his friends Sean and Hanna. I noted that there were lifeguards on hand and knew that Danny had hired a children's party coordinator to handle the rest of their activities so I felt good about leaving him there with the others.

I went to rejoin Katie and found her surrounded by everyone that had been at the ceremony, all of them had changed into their casual clothing except for her. Her dress glowed and she looked like a queen holding court. I walked up to her and put my arm around her waist and she leaned on me and put hers around mine. Danny said "Now that everyone is here, let's go!" and we all headed to the barn. As we got closer we could hear laughter intermixed with the sounds of summery, breezy jazz and the smells of mesquite smoke and delicious food. We entered to find that the party had already started and most of the people we had asked to come were already there. They started to clap and cheer and there were a few wolf whistles that I suspect were aimed at my glittering bride. It was intended as a free form party without reception lines or any other nonsense though there was a table reserved for us. The group broke apart and started to mingle and we did too. After about a half hour she whispered to me "I'm starving! I haven't had anything to eat all day except a slice of toast and the smell of the food is driving me nuts." I was concerned about this because of her condition and whispered "You shouldn't have skipped eating, you _are_ _aware_ of the fact that you are pregnant, aren't you?" She gave me a hug "Yes, I _am_ aware of that, Dr. Ellingham! I was feeling a bit queasy this morning and didn't want to throw up though I did take my vitamins and had a piece of toast and some milk once things settled down. I also had to get into this dress and _not_ look like I was pregnant! In case you haven't noticed this dress is rather unforgiving to figure faults…" She pecked me on the cheek and whispered "I'll be a good girl tomorrow." I kissed her, caressed the smooth skin of her back and whispered "OK, as long as you are a very _naughty_ one tonight." She laughed and said "You evil, _wicked_ man!"

We walked over to where the food was being served and picked out what we wanted then went to our table to eat. The others seemed to have the same idea and started arriving with their plates. Karen and Pat sat next to Katie and they started talking. Pat said "Oh, I have to tell you this one from this morning, Martin!" Katie laughed and said "If it is what I _think_ it is just _shut up_! He doesn't need to know about the male strippers and the frozen roll of quarters…" Pat and Karen both started laughing at the expression on my face and Karen said "Don't worry, Martin! There were _no_ male strippers though that room service guy was a hottie…I wouldn't throw him out of bed for eating crackers, that's for sure!" Pat continued "Anyway…as you know your 'blushing bride' has spent most of her life putting up with the 'Scarlett O'Hara' crap. This morning we were having a fantastic brunch but she wouldn't eat anything except a slice of toast and some milk. We were giving her grief about that and she said 'I need to _rock_ that dress at the ceremony-he's never seen me in the feathers and war paint before and I want to make sure his jaw hits the floor when he does. I'm going to have a good time today and do my eating at the barbecue tonight!' We both spewed coffee and started laughing at her, she was all confused and said 'What are you guys laughing at?' When we could finally speak I said 'Don't you remember the scene in Gone with the Wind where Scarlett was getting dressed for the barbecue at Twelve Oaks? Think about that and what you just said!' She thought about it and said '_Aw crap_, somebody shoot me!' and started banging her head on the table." We all laughed at that one while Katie did a facepalm and laughed. She said "Thank god that after today I won't have to deal with that ever again! I'm no longer Katherine Rose O'Hara; I'm Katherine Rose Ellingham now." Jimmy said "What? No hyphenated surname…I thought that was all the rage with women today." Katie replied "Hyphenated surnames are for insecure women or the anal-retentive, I am neither. Besides, it's too much writing to sign your name." Don made the mistake of asking "What was the roll of frozen roll of quarters for?" Katie and her friends started laughing hysterically, when she could finally reply Katie said in between giggles "You put them in a male stripper's jock strap-it makes them dance better and they jingle when they do!" The women at the table started laughing and the men all looked rather uncomfortable at the thought which made the women laugh harder.

It was a beautiful night out and after a while we went outside to the patio where most of the others had migrated to. The light from the moon was making the clouds glow shades of silver, blue and grey as they passed and the light from the trees made Katie's dress glow softly in multicolored hues. We stood off to one side watching the scene before us and I asked her "Did you want to change out of your dress? It's a bit warm out here." She replied "No, I'm fine. The breeze is helping keep me cool. Did you want to change?" I said "No, I'm fine, too." She caressed my cheek and said "You are a marvelous, wonderful, amazing man with a kind and beautiful soul…in you I have found the part of me that has been missing all my life…you make me feel _so good_…_and complete_...I love you, Martin!" I pulled her close, caressed her face and said "You are a magnificent, radiant cool fire that nourishes and warms my heart and soul…you make me feel truly alive for the first time in my life…I love you, my Katherine Rose!" We kissed a deep, beautiful kiss of bonding and love. We eventually parted and looked in each other's eyes, letting them do the talking. We stood like that for a while, the world around us reduced to us two…nothing else existed.

Eventually we were brought out of our trance by the voice of Danny. He had gone up on the stage where the band was playing. "We all know that the bride has an absolute _horror_ of anything that smacks of 'traditional wedding' but there is one piece of 'traditional silliness' that all of us have agreed that we are going to hold them to. Now if we can just pry them out from under that tree the first dance of the evening is theirs. We both looked at each other and said "Oh, gawd…" simultaneously and then laughed. I said "Well, shall we?" she looked at me and giggled "Why not…we can scare them all." I smiled at her and asked "Which song?" she thought for a moment and said "'Aphrodisiac' by Kevin Toney if they know it, if not I have it on my phone. With that one we can go all 'Fred and Ginger' on 'em! It'll be weird dancing to it in shoes and a dress, though…I hope I don't fall on my ass!" and started laughing. We danced to that song in private at home many times before. We pried ourselves out from under the tree and walked across the floor. I told the band leader which song and asked if they knew it, he smiled and said that they did indeed know it. We walked out to the middle of the floor and nodded that we were ready and they began to play. After a bit of a tentative start so we could get used to dancing to the song wearing shoes we did 'go all Fred and Ginger' on them. When the song was over we hugged and kissed and she said "_Nailed it_!" people started dancing after that and we mingled for a bit. She said "I think I'm going to get out of this dress, dancing made me warm and sweaty." I said "I agree. I am a bit warm, too." We started making our way back to the house. About half way I stopped to watch her walk in the dress, in the dark of the pathway it glowed with moonlight-a shimmer of midnight blue and soft silver. After a minute she noticed I wasn't with her and came walking back and the view was even more beautiful, the moonlight on the dress accentuated her figure and her breasts perfectly. She looked at me and asked "What's wrong?" I kissed my moon goddess and said "Nothing at _all_…"

We went to the bedroom to change; I made sure I locked the door so we wouldn't be surprised by James or anyone else. She turned her back to me and asked "Can you unzip me, please?" I helped her with her zipper, I also helped her take it off with kisses and caresses and soon she stood before me in all her glory, wearing nothing but her necklace, rings and her special perfume which had been driving me crazy all day. I took her in my arms and began to kiss and caress her in ways that left no doubt as to what I wanted, just in case my erection hadn't already given her that clue. She let out a soft moan and whispered "Oh, god….you're driving me _crazy_!" I pulled her closer and whispered in her ear while I nibbled it "You have been driving _me_ crazy all day and I want you **_NOW!_**" and pushed her back onto the bed. It was pure physical lust-hot, hard and fast. She was in an orgasmic state from the moment I entered her and I wasn't too far behind her, we stifled our cries of pleasure by intensely kissing each other. I collapsed on top of her and we lay there panting, our hearts pounding, coated in sweat. After a few moments I recovered enough to prop myself up on my elbows and we looked into each other's eyes softly repeating our names to each other. I eventually rolled off of her and said softly "Oh, Katie…you are amazing!" She giggled and whispered "Oh...Martin...that was the most intense and incredible orgasm I've ever had...in fact I'm still having it...and _you_ thought I was going to give _you_ a heart attack, I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest like a piston!" I rolled on my side and kissed her cheek "I can see the headlines now, 'Newlyweds die from mutual heart attacks-amazing coincidence says local coroner. Foul play not suspected." She giggled "Corpse quoted as having said it was a great way to go!" I looked at my chest at the bite mark she gave me and said "That will take a couple weeks to fade…all anyone would have to do to find out who bit me is look at _your_ dental records!" She laughed and pointed at the mark I had left on her and said "Same thing here, buddy! Oh my god, I have to see Matsuko when I get back! What is she going to think?" I laughed "She is going to think that I bit you and wonder what kind of crazy weasel sex we've been having, nothing more." Katie replied "Oh, that's just _lovely_! Anyway, we'd better get back before they send out a search party. I don't know about you but I need a shower, I'm soaked in more ways than one!" I propped myself up on one shoulder "I need one, too. Shower with a friend?" She laughed "Works for me!"

After our shower we dressed, packed our formal wear and straightened up the room. She took out her special perfume and put three drops on and the room filled with the scent. "I'm ready to go!" I asked her "What is that called? I want to buy you a vat of it!" She replied "It's vintage 'Vol de Nuit'." I smiled "Le parfum pour un aviatrix." She laughed "You keep that up and I'm going to have to go all 'Gomez Addams' on you!" I opened the door and we headed back to the party, while we walked I asked "Who _is_ this Gomez Addams?" She put her arm around me and kissed me "I'll show you when we get home." We arrived at the barn to find the party still in full swing, Katie's brother and her pilot friends were at one table-talking 'shop talk' by the look of it. We went and sat with 'the UK contingent' who had been joined by Katie's friends and Don, Danny, Adam and Jimmy. I thought to myself "I can imagine what stories they have been telling each out about us, at least Joan isn't here to amuse them with stories of my bedwetting…" As we arrived they all looked at us and my Aunt Ruth said dryly "Where have you two been?" I knew she _knew_ and started to feel my face turn colors. Katie said "We were sweating through our formal wear after the dance and went to change out of them and I had to take the makeup off." Ruth said with _that_ grin on her face "Uh huh…" Katie laughed and said "That's my story and I'm sticking to it. If you don't like it, I have others." We talked about a variety of subjects and told stories. It was getting close to midnight when I whispered in Katie's ear "We should get going, we have a long day tomorrow and James is needs to sleep or he will be grumpy all day. I'm going to go fetch him." and I excused myself and left. As I walked away from the group I overheard Katie say "OK, Ruth. If you really _must_ know we had hot weasel sex and took a shower…That's just as good a story as any of the others, you can pick which one you wish to believe…"

I went and asked the party coordinator where my son was and she said he was at the go-kart track and gave me directions to it. I thanked her and headed for it. As I walked I thought "Go-kart track? I'll never be able to pry him away from it." I arrived to find Ryan and Matsuko watching the race. We greeted each other and Ryan said "This has been the best wedding we've ever been to, including our own! Brilliant idea to have a children's area, too. We've been trying to get Sean and Hanna to leave for the last half hour." Matsuko gave me a hug and said "What _is_ that cologne you're wearing, it smells _wonderful_! All the women were remarking on how good you smell. I want to get a bottle for Ryan." I replied "'Heritage', Katie got it for me. I generally don't wear scents but she likes it and today was a special occasion. For a woman who spent most of her life in the wild she does know a lot about fragrances and how they work with an individual's body chemistry." She said softly "How is she doing?" I said "Morning sickness is starting to kick in but otherwise she is doing well."

Matsuko took my arm and led me a couple of feet away from Ryan "I wanted to talk to you in private but haven't had the chance until now. I am a bit concerned about her. I assume you did not know her blood type-it's O negative, yours is A positive. You two have an Rh factor conflict-_usually_ this is not a problem with a first pregnancy but it still can be and we have to watch out for it. We won't know for sure for a couple of weeks but I wanted _you_ to be prepared-she will be upset and scared and you will have to help her and support her. As you know there are ways to treat this but it can be hard on her, especially if she develops antibodies. I didn't want to mention this before because she doesn't need the stress of worrying about it until we all have to." I looked up at the moon and cursed myself-why hadn't I thought about that before! All I had to do was ask one, simple question… Matsuko touched my arm and said quietly "Don't be so hard on yourself, Martin. You may be a genius but you can't think of everything all the time. We'll get through this." I replied "Thank you, Matsuko. I'm just worried about her; she is so used to being active. I don't know how she will handle it all as time goes on." Matsuko took my hand and held it in hers and said "I've seen the scars and know what she has been through. She loves you and knows that there are great risks involved. She is ready to face them for you. She will be OK but she will need some help and I know you will do everything you can to do so. Don't worry too much until we have to."

The race ended and James saw me standing at the fence and ran over to me. "Daddy, this has been the most fun I've ever had! I wish I could stay here forever!" I picked him up, gave him a kiss and said "I know you do but we have to go home now. It is late and we will have a long day tomorrow." James said "OK, daddy!" and said goodbye to Sean and Hanna. On the moonlit walk back to the barn James regaled me with tales of what he had been doing all night punctuated at times by yawns. By the time we got to the barn he had nodded off. I looked at him while he dozed in my arms; he is a happy, tired little boy sleeping after a long and exciting day. I am glad he is not like me and I am not like my father. I walked up to the table where Katie was and said "Ready to go? He's out cold." She stood up and said "Yup, I have everything in the car, all we have to do is go." Everyone else wanted to stay longer so Danny said he would have them dropped off at the house. We bade them all a good night then headed for the house to where the limo was and they followed to send us off. It wasn't there when we arrived; instead a valet drove up with a dark blue Bentley Continental GT Speed. He got out and handed me the keys and said "Your car, sir!" I looked at him and said "This isn't my car." Katie giggled and said "Yes, it is! I bought you _a present_! You need a car you fit in, the Jag is OK but you aren't really comfortable in it on long drives and keep on banging your head and knees on things. It was either this or a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, I thought you would like this better-you just aren't a 'bubba truck' kind of guy..." My jaw dropped and everyone laughed, James woke up and said sleepily "What's going on?" I replied "Katie is being very silly!" he looked at her and said "What did you do?" She smiled at him and said "I bought your daddy a car. Do you think that is silly?" He turned his head to look at the car and said "No, it's cool! Are we going for a ride in it?" I kissed him and set him down "Yes, we're going to drive it home. Go on and get in." I looked at her and said "You _are_ crazy!" She smiled and said "Yup! It's all a part of my charm…and you_ love_ it!" I took her in my arms and kissed her. When we parted I said "You crazy, nutty, silly woman! I love you!" She held me and said "I love you! Now let's hit the road and get home before we all fall asleep!" I smiled and said "Good idea, it's been a long day." I opened the door for her and ushered her into the car, I got in on the driver's side without hitting my head or knees and started it up. "God, it has a fine engine note!" I thought to myself. We waved at everyone as we drove off into the moonlight, James had already fallen asleep. I stopped at the end of the ranch road and kissed her "Thank you, sweetie! I love you!" She replied "I love you, too! Let's go home."


	51. Chapter 51-Jasmine and Oranges

**_Chapter 51: Jasmine and Oranges_**

On the way home I was getting a feel for the car and Katie was pointing out some of the extra features she had ordered for it. First off were the paint and interior colors which she thought I might not only enjoy but find amusing-it was painted in color called Oxford blue and the interior was done in Imperial blue leather. The dash was done in dark tint engine spin veneer and burl walnut. She had also added a massage system to the front seats "For those nights like you had on Wednesday when you were in surgery for damn near 18 hours. You were one hurtin' hombre when you got home!" A 1,000 watt, 14 speaker sound system that sounded fantastic even at the lowest settings (We didn't want to wake James up). Adaptive cruise control and a rear view camera. It was a joy to drive performance wise, fast and agile for such a large car.

She had been awake almost 20 hours and the massage function on the seats had done their job, she was fast asleep and I was alone with my thoughts on a moonlit drive. The man I was five years ago would not recognize the man I have become today. I am just about a total opposite of that man now I think. Nine months ago I had decided to 'change my latitude and change my attitude' and so far everything that has happened had gone way beyond my wildest dreams-I love my job and it is more than had hoped for, I have many good friends, I like where I live, I like who I am and I have Katie. I glanced over at her, her face serene in sleep and aglow in the moonlight. The woman sleeping in the moonlight was once the woman in my dreams and now she is my wife-my soul mate and mate. I thought about the events of the day-a mellow morning with friends and family, a beautiful wedding ceremony in the afternoon and a glorious and fun filled evening topped off by a generous gift chosen with care and love. I thought about the events in the bedroom at Danny's house. I am pretty sure _that_ will be running through my mind by command performance _for the rest of my life_. The feel of her skin…of her breasts…slightly but noticeably fuller than a couple months ago…her trembling at my touch and her soft moans of pleasure as I did…the overpowering lust I felt for her…had I ever been so hard …the way she arched her back and cried out as I entered her… God! I had better stop thinking about that or I _will_ run off the road!

I turned my thoughts to my conversation with Matsuko. The odds were still in our favor for _this_ pregnancy but what if we wanted to try for more children? We haven't talked about that possibility. Do I want more children than the ones she is carrying? I thought about that question and its ramifications for quite some time. This is another change in me-the fact that I am even thinking about this. I thought I would be a _terrible_ father, so did Auntie Joan with her constant comments about how I would have to work twice as hard at it, etc. Fatherhood had been difficult at first, partly because of my lack of knowledge and my feelings of inadequacy and partly from the situation between Louisa and me. As it turned out I learned and grew into the job and now I think I can honestly say I am a good father. More importantly I love being one. I love James and I love being with him but up until recently I did not know how to play with him and be comfortable doing so. I had never been a child_ when_ I was a child so had no frame of reference. Katie taught me how to play like a child as an adult this week-to have fun and not feel silly doing so. The question remains. I think yes, I would love to have as many children as we can as long as she wants to and is physically able to safely. It will be up to her, though. If and when this question arises between us I will express my desire for more but make it quite clear that I will be happy with her decision on the subject no matter what it is.

That sorted my thoughts drifted once again back to my conversation with Matsuko. We planned on going to New Zealand in mid-July to get the boat then sail up to Aitutaki. By then she will be almost three months along and if the worst happens we might have to cancel it. Even if the worst didn't happen it would still be difficult to what we planned. I had sailed before many times growing up and in college but all those were single hulled boats. Catamarans are different and she would be teaching me not only how to sail one but to sail this_ particular_ one. I had read the specs and looked at the pictures she had of her beloved 'Isilme'. This was a boat that would not treat beginners kindly-it would be like taking a person with a rudimentary knowledge of driving and dropping them in a Ferrari. Kevlar and carbon fiber hull with reinforced forepeaks, hard chine, 65 foot tall rotating carbon fiber wing mast, u-shaped hull with movable ballast, asymmetrical dagger boards and with massive sails-it is a high performance sailboat. It is, at 54 feet long, also almost twice as large as any boat I had sailed before and it is rigged for single handing. Perhaps I should look into going earlier, like next week. We would have access to Crosby's plane until Thursday which would make getting there easier-we could leave from London after dropping James off. She is still feeling well except for her bouts with morning sickness and those aren't too bad plus we would be back before she would start developing antibodies if the worst case scenario were to occur. I would talk to Don, Foghorn and Danny tomorrow about it to see if we can do it. I know she would love the idea of going sooner, too. We both need some time to drop off the face of the earth after the last two months, especially with my research project starting and her pregnancy. The next year is going to be a rough one-long hours at work (or working at home) for me and the later stages of pregnancy, birth and being a new mother for her.

I pulled the car into the driveway and into the garage. Katie woke with a yawn and a stretch "We're home already? I'm sorry I fell asleep on you, sweetheart! That massage felt so good and I was tired." I gently kissed her and said "It's quite alright; you had a much longer day than I did and you needed the sleep." We got out of the car and she was about to wake James when I said "Wait for a second before you do and come here." I unlocked and opened the door then walked over to her. I kissed her then picked her up in my arms, she started to giggle and said "Oh no, you're not going to do what I think you are!" I kissed her again and said "Oh yes, I am!" and I walked her across the threshold and set her down then pulled her close and we kissed. When we parted she said "You probably have a hernia now!" I gave her a cuddle and whispered in her ear "You can give me a thorough examination after I put James to bed." she kissed me then said "I will be _very_ thorough!" I went out to get James, he was still sound asleep. I gently removed him from the car and carried him upstairs with Katie headed for our bedroom. I got him out of his clothes and down to his pants without waking him then tucked him up into bed then I went to our bedroom.

I closed the door and locked it just to be on the safe side. When I turned around she was standing there in her Kimono in the glow of candlelight. She started unbuttoning my shirt kissing my chest as she did so. I started to touch her and she stopped me. "Tonight is for _your_ relaxation and pleasure; all you have to do is say nothing and just _breathe_..." She slowly undressed me with kisses and gentle caresses then led me to the bed and laid me down on it, arranging the pillows for my comfort and placed a towel covered pillow under my hips. She slowly took off her Kimono and her rings and stood before me naked, looked into my eyes then picked up a small bottle off the nightstand and climbed onto the bed. She poured some oil into her hand to let it warm up; the smell of jasmine and oranges filled the air. When it had warmed she then began to give me a full Tantric massage, starting with the extremities-fingers, hands and arms, head and neck, toes, feet and legs and moved to my chest, nipples and abdomen. As she did so she would look into my eyes and said nothing-her face impassive. I watched her as she worked and enjoyed the sensations she was giving me. She then sat in between my legs and performed something that I had only read about-a full Lingam massage. She brought me to the brink and backed me down over and over again, the sensation was amazing! It was like riding wave upon wave of pleasure and relaxation. As I was riding another wave and was getting close to the brink she gently pulled the pillow out from under my hips, straddled me, looked into my eyes and smiled…held that pose for a moment then guided me inside her-I won't call it my penis because by that time it was the _only_ part of me that existed. Shallow at first then deeper then alternating between the two-her thrusts were heavenly, her muscle control _sublime_. When she sensed that I was close she would back down for a few moments until I relaxed a bit then would begin again. When I started reaching another peak instead of backing down she continued with deeper and faster thrusts and started losing control as she approached her climax. By then I was perfectly in tune with her and in unison achieved the beautifully powerful agony of le petit mort. We both greyed out and she collapsed on my chest. When she came round she gently lifted herself off of me and laid down beside me and I rolled on my side to face her. We kissed and we cuddled. It was a long time before either one of us spoke. She caressed my face, smiled with a mirthful gleam in her eyes and asked me "Was it good for you?" I started laughing and said "I think I just lost my virginity!" She giggled and said "Me too!"

We fell asleep soon after and did not hear the others come home.

Until my dying day I remembered with perfect clarity our wedding night. It would later be recorded that my dying words were "Jasmine and Oranges."


	52. Chapter 52-A Change in Plans

**_Chapter 52: A Change in Plans_**

I was awakened by a soft knock on the door, a quiet voice said "Daddy, are you awake?" I replied groggily "Yes…Just a moment, sweetie!" I looked at the time, 7:07am. I carefully slid out of bed so I wouldn't wake Katie, put my pajama bottoms and robe on and went to the door. "Good Morning, James!" I picked him up and gave him a hug and a kiss "We must be very quiet, the others are sleeping." He kissed me and whispered "OK…You smell like oranges, daddy!" I sniffed myself and smiled "Yes I do." not wanting to have to explain why I did I changed the subject "Are you hungry, young man?" James replied, "Yes! John said Katie makes the best pancakes in the world, can we have some for breakfast?" I looked at her sleeping so soundly and peacefully and said "Katie is still sleeping and I don't know if we have any blueberries, we would need them in order make them. Shall we go look to see if we do?" I set him down on the floor and quietly shut the bedroom door and we set off to the kitchen.

I was feeling weak and somewhat detached from the world, it was a _very_ _strange_ sensation. Some say that when one experiences le petit mort a little bit of them dies and their soul is reborn. I used to think that was psychobabble twaddle-now that I have experienced it, I understand the truth in that statement. As I was walking down the stairs I stopped dead in my tracks and made a great realization. My 'greatest demon', as Aunt Ruth referred to it, was _gone_! I stood there searching for it (something I _never_ do) and found only a bitter, fading memory-little more than a statement of fact that those things had happened to me, _nothing more_. It didn't arouse the usual feelings of anger, shame, guilt and pain that it does when I think about it or it forces itself into my consciousness. I felt a bit wobbly and sat on the step when the truth of the matter hit me. I'm finally **_FREE!_** _The last bit of what made me the bitter, angry and unhappy person I was for almost all of my life is_ _gone-the demon is dead!_ I sat there dumbfounded. I was brought back to the here and now by a small hand tugging on me "Daddy, why are you crying?" I couldn't speak. I picked him up and cradled him in my arms and rocked him gently. James took a tissue from his robe pocket and gently wiped the tears from my eyes and cheeks "Why are you so sad?" I finally spoke "I'm not sad...I'm _happy!_" I hugged him tightly and gave him a big kiss, then set him down on the step and stood up. I took his hand in mine and said "Let's go look to see if we have any blueberries, shall we?" As it happened we did have some-two pints of them. I thought to myself "She must've planned on making them for James, knowing his fondness for pancakes." I poured James a glass of milk and looked in the pantry. She _was_ planning to make them because there was a new bottle of maple syrup in there. I looked at James and said "I'm going to take a quick shower and wake Katie up, will you be OK down here for a few minutes?" James smiled and said "Yes, I'll just play a game on my Kindle while you are gone."

I went upstairs to the bedroom, laid down beside her and gently shook her. Her eyes opened sleepily-those beautiful green eyes. She stretched and said "Mmmmmmm….good morning, my love!" and we embraced. The covers had fallen away to expose her magnificent breasts and I started to caress them, wanting to stay in bed with her but the thought of a very hungry (almost) six year old crept into my mind. "Good morning, my love…the healer of my soul! _God_…I wish we could stay like this all day!" She smiled and caressed me, and then concern crept into her eyes "What's the matter? You look like you've been crying…" I kissed her gently "Don't worry, they were happy tears…I'll tell you about it later when we are alone and have the time. Right now there is a five year old with a pancake obsession downstairs that…" She caressed my chest and nibbled on a nipple, I groaned softly. She giggled and said with mock seriousness "I understand the situation completely, Dr. Ellingham! We _must_ feed him pancakes, _STAT!, _or his condition will deteriorate. He might _die_ of starvation and pancake deprivation!" I laughed and said with mock seriousness "The course of treatment I recommend is showering with a friend, dressing then go toss pancakes at him. Do you concur with my diagnosis and course of treatment, Dr. Ellingham?" She gave me a quick kiss, got up out of bed and said "Yes, I do." took my hand and we went off to shower.

"Good morning, James! I hear that you are in great need of pancakes, specifically sourdough blueberry ones. Want to help me make them?" He cheered then gave her a big hug and a kiss "Yes, I want to help!" She walked into the kitchen and pulled the stool over so he could watch her; I made an espresso for myself and her cup of 'prescription coffee' and proceeded to set the table. As I did I heard her explain what sourdough is and why they used it in Alaska. The others started to arrive one by one-some looking a bit hungover but all looked relaxed and happy. I made espressos and set extra places for them. John asked Katie "Are you making what I think you're making?" She said "Yes! Don't worry; I have plenty of syrup." I remembered I wanted to call Foghorn, Don and Danny and walked up behind her and put my arms around her waist "Hun, I have to make a couple quick phone calls, do I have the time?" She leaned back into my arms, looked up and said "You sure do! I have to cook the bacon first then make the pancakes." I took my phone off the counter, excused myself to our guests and went outside, as I did I heard her ask Chris if he would like more coffee.

My phone calls done I went back inside to hear Katie explain to James, Fiona and Jenny-they had joined James in learning how to make these pancakes and to talk "You don't want to make them too big, they'll be mushy in the middle. You want them to have a nice, crispy exterior with a light and fluffy interior. This size is perfect." It was a 'full house' in the kitchen and I would be in the way so I gave Katie a quick kiss and said "I'm going to go and assume the traditional role of the husband and wait with the _men_ to be served their breakfast." She knew I was joking and laughed "And I will assume the traditional role of the wife of being pregnant, barefoot and in the kitchen! I laughed and said "_Seriously_, if you need me to do anything give me a shout." kissed her again and went and sat down with Chris, Robert, Ruth and John. Chris said as I sat down "Well, what did they say?" I replied "All of them OK'd it. While I was out there I checked and that ocean sports store is still there by Charing Cross station so we can pick up what we need there and made a reservation at the Dorchester." I looked at John and asked "You are sure this won't be a problem?" he replied "Not at all, I have to have the jet moved to Tahiti by Thursday anyway to pick up the boss. I would like to come and see her boat, though. You think you're up to sailing it? Catamarans are very different to sail and that boat is a worldfaring high tech yacht." I took a sip of coffee then said "I will have an _excellent_ teacher. Besides, I'd _better_ be up to it, she'll keelhaul me if I damage it" John laughed and said "Look on the bright side! It's pretty damn hard to keelhaul someone on a Cat! There is no keel to speak of…those daggerboards might hurt though." Ruth said "One of our ancestors was with Cook when he discovered the islands they are going to. As far as I know you will be the first in the family to go back there." Robert said "That's interesting. I knew that you had an ancestor that survived the Drake expedition but didn't know you had one who sailed with Cook. Fiona has been trying to do our family history but hasn't found much past the 1700's. How far are you able to trace yours back?" Ruth replied "The Domesday Book is the first solid reference, though there are a few incidental records that go back to Jorvik." John said "Jorvik? Sounds Scandinavian." Ruth smiled "All you have to do is look at my nephew to see the Viking root of the family tree-tall, pale, blond hair, grey eyes, A positive blood type. You could drop him off in just about any city in Norway and no one would suspect that he _wasn't_ Norwegian until he opened his mouth."

We talked about genealogy for a while until Katie came and said "It's almost ready; you want to make another round of espresso for everyone?" I got up and did so. After a few minutes Katie and the rest came in with platters of bacon, pancakes and pitchers of warm maple syrup, juice and milk. Ruth looked at me and said "No Egg and soldiers for you?" I smiled at her and said "Not when she makes pancakes!" John took a bite and sighed "My baby sister makes the best pancakes in the world!" James just nodded, his mouth was full of pancakes. Chris agreed "These really are wonderful, Katie!" before he could ask Jenny said "Yes, we got the recipe for the pancakes and learned how to make sourdough." I said "Katie, there has been a bit of a change in plans." She looked at me with apprehension "Oh, no! What happened now?" I smiled and said "Nothing bad…At least I don't think so. I moved my vacation up. Instead of going to Cornwall and returning here we are going to drop James off, spend a day in London then fly with your brother to Christchurch." She dropped her silverware on her plate and looked at me, astounded "You're kidding, right?" I smiled at her and said "Nope." She reached over and planted a maple syrup flavored kiss on me "Oh, Martin…that is wonderful! I can smell the Frangipani on the breeze already…The boat is ready to go; it was delivered back to Akaroa last Tuesday. All we need do is provision it and take off-that will take about a day because it will be easier to get most of the stuff in Christchurch. Wait…we haven't picked up your gear yet, we need to do that and we won't have time to do it today…" I replied "I have already factored that in. That is why we are going to spend the day in London; there is a big store by Charing Cross station that has everything we need. I already checked it for the items you said you wanted to pick up, they have them." She pointed towards the southwest "Well, to paraphrase Lawrence of Arabia; Aitutaki is there, it is only a matter of going..."

The plane would be leaving at 5:30pm so had the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon open. The general consensus of everyone was to have a quiet day relaxing and swimming then pack up and leave. We were all pretty tired after all the running around we have done over the past few days and, as I found out, they didn't get home until almost 3am. While the rest of us were relaxing Katie was busy doing laundry, making lists and getting out things out of the third floor storage room that she needed to pack to have on hand on the boat-satellite phones, extra GPS's, VHF radios and the like, then make sure they were working properly and charged. I asked her if I could do something to help and she said "Yes, go relax and be with your friends. It is easier for me to do this by myself-I know where it's all at." I had checked my old GP bag and refilled it to take along with us. She has a pretty comprehensive first aid kit on the boat but my fully stocked GP bag would be much better. John had to leave a couple of hours before us to do his pre flight check and we would leave from here at 4pm. We would arrive at Exeter at about 6:30am and we and The Parsons would get off there, then the plane would go on to London and drop off Robert and Fiona and Aunt Ruth. Everyone would be able to sleep on the way over and be able to shower, dress and have breakfast before so we all should be relatively refreshed for the day. Katie and I would take James up to Port Wenn and be there in time for him to go to school then we would head off to London.

All too soon it was time to pack up and leave. The limo came for our guests and James, Katie and I followed it in the Bentley. I must admit I am really looking forward to this! I have never taken such a lengthy holiday in my life; I also have never been to the southern hemisphere. The most important thing I am looking forward to is spending the month alone with Katie in a place that she considers to be 'home'-on her sailboat anchored by a small island in a lagoon that is like an aquarium in the middle of the south Pacific. Doing _what _we want _when_ we want and no one for miles around. No interruptions by the rest of the world unless we _want _them. Nothing but sea, sky, clouds, white sand beaches, fragrant flowers, warm breezes, palm trees, birds and at night the strange stars of the south reflected in the water. I will be doing things I had never done before-sail a Catamaran on an open ocean passage, learn how to snorkel and scuba dive, learn how to kitesurf, learn how to climb a coconut palm and pick a coconut, and learn how to fish. I never was allowed to do anything remotely resembling any of this when I was young and was too busy or not inclined to do as an adult. This morning I realized that my 'greatest demon' was dead and no more than a bitter memory and this afternoon I am starting a great adventure.

For the first time in my life I truly feel alive!


	53. Chapter 53-Night Flight

**_Chapter 53: Night Flight_**

Katie is up flying the plane with her brother over the endless miles of Asia and enjoying herself immensely. I went up to the cockpit about an hour ago and John and her were happily chattering away about old times and all the places they had been. I left them to it-they hadn't seen each other in over ten years and had little time to have a good chat during the wedding. I like John, he is a good man who cares for and loves 'his baby sister' greatly. Hopefully they will see more of each other now that she is settling down in one place, I know she would like that.

We're over Uzbekistan, the land below a flat steppe in the fading sunset. Soon we will be flying over the Hindu Kush, the Vale of Kashmir of storied beauty then follow the Karakoram to the Gangetic plain then across the Bay of Bengal and the Adaman Sea to Singapore. We will fly over Shimla, a place my great-grandfather told me about. He visited there when he was attached to George V's entourage during his tour of India in 1905-1906. It was a town constructed solely for the pukka sahibs and memsahibs to escape the heat of summer and was constructed to look like a village in Suffolk. A place of endless parties where cars were not allowed and the only transportation was by elaborate rickshaws. The only Indian face you would see was either pulling one of those rickshaws or holding a tray of drinks. Our family has a long history in India. There were two branches and both served king/queen and country. One was 'the army branch' and one was 'the navy branch'. The army branch was mostly cavalry officers, the navy branch was surgeons. The army branch died out –ravaged by death and disease during the Raj and finally killed off during World Wars I and II. The last of the army branch broke with tradition and went into the RAF. He died during the Battle of Britain, shot down and killed in a dogfight over Kent at the age of 24. I have many relatives buried in long forgotten cemeteries dotted all over India, mostly children who died from diseases they should have never been exposed to and had no natural defenses for. _Depressing_. I am glad I ended that one 'family tradition' by refusing to join the Navy, I doubt James will want to revive it. Our children will be born in America and will only have British citizenship through me. Britain will _not_ be their home, it will just be the place where daddy came from and they go to visit their 'big brother'.

I toyed with an envelope that Aunt Ruth gave during the flight over to the UK to drop everyone off. It contained family photos that she wanted me to have. I had told her in private during the flight back to the UK that I thought my 'greatest demon' had finally died. She asked me some rather pointed questions to determine what was going on in my head; she is a Psychologist, after all. After about an hour of grilling about some _very private matters_ she gave me her assessment. "Well, Martin...it appears that it is finally dead. The memory of those events will still remain, of course. They were highly traumatic for you but they will be little more than painful statements of fact. The anger, shame and pain they have always generated in you is fading away like the mist in the morning sun. _I am so happy for you!_" She then did something highly uncharacteristic for her; she gave me a genuine hug and kissed my cheek. I also found out something quite interesting from her-she was going to be coming to Houston for a visit in October. She wasn't coming to see us primarily, though. It appears that her and Don sort of 'hit it off' at the party and he invited her over to spend a week at his beach house on Galveston Island. _Good for them!_ They both have had hard lives filled with tragedy and deserve a little love and compassion.

Louisa also gave me the photos of me that we discovered in Aunt Joan's barn when we dropped James off saying "These rightfully belong to you and now that you are starting a new family they should be with you. I only kept them to stop you from destroying them; I don't think you will do that now. I did make copies of them for James. Your children need to be able to see who you were and where you came from. They will be Americans and Texans-their lives will be _much different_ than yours was." I thought of what our family photo album would look like. Katie has photos of her and her family-there is one adorable picture of her at ten years old holding up a big Rainbow Trout she caught with a huge grin on her face and another of her sitting on her father's lap 'flying' the plane when she was eight. In both the backgrounds are of snow covered mountains and wild forests. There are a couple of her in the hospital in Salt Lake City-a sick, frail little girl lying in a hospital bed with very sad, vacant eyes filled with pain. Another of her learning to walk again-her face straining with the effort, pain and sheer _willpower_. The scars were new then and horrible to look at. She didn't smile in any of those. The pictures of me are of a very unhappy boy at school or at Aunt Joan's farm or a bitter and angry teenager. I have some happier ones of my college days when I used to go with Chris to visit his parents in Ilfracombe or that trip we took to Italy the summer before he met Jenny. There are a couple of baby pictures of me with my parents. _No one_ was smiling in any of them which is not surprising. Katie has no pictures of her as a baby; they were destroyed in the fire. I suspect our family photo album will be filled with photos of our children enjoying a much happier childhood than either of their parents had.

I saw her walking back from the cockpit towards me, a big smile on her face and a mirthful glow in her eyes. I stashed the envelope in my laptop case. She sat down next to me and I put my arm around her and we kissed. "I had so much fun! This thing is great to fly, _so easy_! It's like driving your Bentley. Thank you, sweetheart!" I said "What for? I didn't do anything." She snuggled up to me and started running her hand along my thigh "Yes you did! I left you back here all by your lonesome while I went and played and you didn't mind." I replied "It was OK; I did some work on my research project while you were up there and relaxed. Your brother is right, this is a flying palace. Sitting here you would never know that you are 40,000 feet up flying over the Hindu Kush unless you looked out the window. You would think you are sitting in mansion somewhere." She was inching her hand higher up my thigh and had _that_ smile on her face. She nibbled on my ear and whispered "Wanna go join 'the mile high club' or would you rather stay here and work on your research project?" I stroked my chin and said "Hmm...Can I think about that question for a minute?" She swatted me, got up and said with mock huffiness "Well, _I'm_ going to our suite, _you_ can do whatever you please!" and walked away knowing full well that I would be following her.

We did join 'the mile high club' and slept deeply in each other's arms. We were both fairly exhausted from our initiation into 'the club' and from the events of the past week. We slept right through the refueling stop in Singapore and when I finally woke up dawn was breaking over the Simpson desert in Australia. Looking out over the vibrant reds and yellows of the desert in the early morning glow and the delicate light from it falling on Katie's face I thought it might be nice idea to join the southern hemisphere branch of 'the mile high club'. Judging by my accelerating heart rate and the growing tent in the sheets my anatomy was agreeing with me. I pulled back the covers a bit to expose her breasts, so beautiful in the early morning light. I started to caress them then ran my hand down her flat, smooth belly while I gently kissed and nibbled her neck and breasts. She moaned quietly and her eyes opened sleepily "ooooh...that feels _so good_...what a _nice_ way to wake up..." She giggled mischievously "Is that a baseball bat or are you just happy to see me?" I whispered in her ear "_Very happy_ to see you..."

By the time we showered and dressed we had just crossed the Australian coast by Canberra and flying over the Tasman Sea. John was sitting at the dining table, his breakfast dishes pushed to one side, sipping some coffee and reading the news on his tablet. He looked over his tablet at us and said with the same mischievous glint in his eyes that Katie has "Good morning! Sleep _well_?" She giggled and said "Quite well, thank you! By the way, you can wipe that smirk off your face and those evil thoughts from your mind-I am as _pure_ as the driven slush!" John chuckled and said "Sure...I believe you!" He saw the expression on my face and said "Don't worry, eventually you will get used to it. She has always said what she damned well pleased and has, at times, about as much tact as a Bull Moose." I replied "I'm used to it. I have two aunts that are much the same in their own way. Had would be a better term, one of them is dead." John nodded "Yeah, I noticed. That aunt of yours sure doesn't pull any punches." I replied "No, she doesn't. In fact she _enjoys_ throwing them most of the time." We sat down and the steward took our breakfast orders then brought me an espresso and Katie her coffee. John asked "We should be landing around 1pm local time. What are your plans for the day?" Katie pulled her lists from the pocket of her jeans "OK. First we go loot the FreshChoice on Simeon Street for groceries and sundries, stop at BNZ for some cash then head out to Akaroa. I called Harvey and he is having the boat pulled up to the dock and tanked up. I asked him to turn on the fridge and freezer so they should be cold by the time we get there. Load up the boat and take it back to its buoy. Tomorrow morning head out to sea. What are your plans?" The steward brought our breakfasts and fresh espressos, John took a sip of coffee then said "Well, I have some things to do after we land which shouldn't take more than 90 minutes then head out to Akaroa to see the boat. Drive back later on in the evening." I thought for a moment then said "How about we pick you up after our looting expedition and drive you out there. You can stay the night if you wish then take the car back to the airport in the morning. There is plenty of room and from the looks of the map that road would not be pleasant to drive at night, especially if you aren't used to driving on the left hand side." Katie brightened "That's a great idea! You could get a good look at the boat and Akaroa. I'll make Chicken Minnelli and we can sit out on the Bimini and enjoy the evening until it gets too cool." John thought for a moment "Sounds like a plan! Well, I gotta go up front, see you when we land."

We ate breakfast and reviewed the lists Katie made to make sure nothing was missed, then packed up our stuff and prepared to land. We had a lot of stuff so had to rent a Highlander to haul it and the items we were getting in Christchurch. Soon after we had everything organized we started our descent into Christchurch. The plane taxied to a private area of the airport, John got on the intercom and said "It's old home week for you, sis! The only place we can park the plane overnight is by the grace of the USAP, they're allowing us to use one of their ramp spaces." Katie did a facepalm and said "Oh gawd! I hope there is no one around that I know or we'll _never_ get out of here!" John got on the intercom again "They didn't want to let us use it but I told them you were on this flight and all of a sudden the started giving us the red carpet treatment." Katie sighed "So much for our finely tuned schedule..." I took her hand in mine and gently stroked it with my thumb "It's alright, we're on our honeymoon so if the schedule needs to be adjusted it gets adjusted. We're in no hurry." She replied "You realize that now everyone in both the New Zealand and US Antarctic programs knows that I'm here-they're probably going to want to throw a party, or at least take us out on a pub crawl. You have _no idea_ what we've just been thrown into. It would be a _very interesting_ tour of Christchurch for you and by the time they get done with you...no, I don't even want to _contemplate_ that! At least it would be fairly easy to get the Jell-O off you; you don't have a lot of body hair..." I shot an eyebrow up and gave her a quizzical look; she laughed and said "_Be afraid_..."

We pulled up to a familiar scene for her-a big blue hangar. They were wheeling the embarkation stairs into place and there was a small crowd hanging about. Katie sighed and said "There's Sandy and Neil...that looks like Bryan but I've never seen him without a beard before...yup, we're in trouble now!" The steward popped the door open and she said "The one good thing about this is that the car hire place is right next door. You ready to face the firing squad?" I was still trying to figure out what Jell-O had to do with anything but was afraid to ask "I guess so..." She stood on her tippy toes and gave me a kiss "My poor baby! It'll be OK...I hope! Ready?" She walked out onto the top of the stairs and I could hear someone shout "_KATIE!_" She laughed and did a 'royal wave' and started down the stairs, I followed. She was engulfed by the crowd when she got to the bottom and was being hugged and kissed and all were excitedly talking at once. John came up behind me and said "You had _no idea_, did you?" I looked at him and said "I knew she worked down here for many years, that's about it. She has told me some stories about her time down here, too." John placed a hand on my shoulder "Apparently she didn't want to scare you. She is legend with these people and rightfully so. There is no one better in the world than her at flying in extreme conditions-what would kill us mere mortals she laughs at. Why else did you think I wanted her to train my pilots? I wanted _the very best_."

She motioned to us to come down and join the group so we did. She said to her friends "I want to introduce you all to these two fine gentleman." She put her hand on John's shoulder "This is my brother John, CFO for Peter Crosby and a damned fine pilot for a jet jockey." They all greeted him and shook his hand. Then she put her arm around my waist "And this is Dr. Martin Ellingham, my husband." You could have bowled them all over with a Jell-O bowing ball by the looks of surprise on their face. "You got _married_?" one of them said incredulously. She laughed and said "Yup!" and held up her hand to show them the rings. I was immediately sucked into the crowd and greeted with handshakes and back pats. The one she thought was Bryan (he was) said "How in the _hell_ did you manage that? Just about every guy in three programs has tried to get her to go out with them and she shut them all down cold, including me." I laughed and said "I asked her." He shook his head and chuckled "If I had only known it would've been that _easy_..." She came up and put her arm around me and said "Look, guys...We're here to go get on my boat and sail up to Aitutaki for our honeymoon and we're on a really tight schedule. Can we get together with you when we get back?" They replied that they would love to and as we were discussing plans to do so a customs official showed up to process our papers and luggage. She asked Neil if he would go next door to get our car, he went and came back with the car and an employee of the firm so we could fill out the paperwork. They helped us load up the car and soon we were on our way. As we pulled out onto the road she said "Whew...I was afraid we would be halfway to the pubs by now."

By the time we had completed our 'search and destroy' mission to the FreshChoice and stopped at the bank we were actually running a bit ahead of schedule. During our time at the store John called and said he would meet us at the main terminal. We picked him up and were on our way. The drive was spectacular; the scenery reminded me of photos of California in the 1940's before it was overrun and paved over. My god! This place is beautiful and I can see why she wanted to live here. We finally arrived to find that Akaroa is a charming artist colony/holiday spot type of town with street names in French and scenery reminiscent of San Francisco bay. We arrived at the pier and we saw it-the 'Islime' tied up alongside and waiting for us. John laughed and said "I'm weeping already...to think of all the years I wasted in not taking up your offer to borrow the boat. Well, baby sister, can I borrow your boat?" She smiled at him and said "Anytime, except for the next month! By the way, you just _started_ crying, wait until you get on board and check her out." She pulled a tissue out of her purse and handed it to him "Here, you'll need this to dry your tears." She spotted something in the water "Penguins! I love those little guys, they are so cute!" I had never seen a live Penguin before and these didn't look like any I knew about "What kind are those?" She replied "White-flippered Penguins, they are the smallest of all the species. Occasionally you will see a Yellow Eyed Penguin in the harbor." I parked the car and John and I carried the heavy bags full of the gear we picked up in London and she carried our luggage and boarded the boat. The pictures did not do it justice! It was beautiful and the interior was large, spacious, panorama windows in the saloon and unlike every other sailboat I've been on I didn't have to duck once to avoid banging my head. I thought to myself "This is nicer than the flat I had in Kensington, I can see us being _very comfortable_ here." John asked "How many square feet is the interior?" She replied "I think about 1,300, I'd have to look." We made two more trips to retrieve the groceries. She decided to stay moored at the dock so we could use shore power and city water and save on using up our fuel and water. Katie told us "You guys go and relax under the Bimini while I store the groceries and get the cabins fixed up." We offered to help and she told us the best help we could provide was to go and relax "You guys will just get in the way." John and I sat outside, sipped some scotch and talked while watching the Penguins and Dolphins in the harbor and admiring the view.

After she was done she came and joined us, a glass of ginger ale in her hand. "There, everything is ready. I turned on the heat; it takes it a while to warm up in there but stays that way when it does." We sat outside and talked until dusk-it was getting too cool to stay out and be comfortable, so we moved inside and we talked while she cooked dinner. After dinner we talked for a while but the jet lag was kicking in so we wished each other a good night and headed for our cabins. Katie and I performed our nightly hygiene routines and climbed into bed. We were asleep within minutes.

I woke up sometime around 3am and laid there for a while trying to go back to sleep but could not so I went out into the saloon. Outside it was clear and calm, a beautiful night so I went out on deck to marvel at the sky. I could recognize only a few constellations and the Magellanic Clouds, the rest were all foreign to me. The water was calm and the stars were reflecting in it and I admired the beauty of the scene. I had never seen anything like it before, I was born in London and to me 'nature' consisted of the great parks and the ground of my old school. I was about to confront nature at its rawest starting tomorrow and instead of fearing it as I would do I was excited by the prospect. The mere thought of doing so would have horrified the man I was five years ago. Standing in the presence of the subtle beauty before me I rejoiced in the fact that I am no longer that man.


	54. Chapter 54-Welcome to my world

**_Chapter 54: Welcome to my world..._**

"Alright...perfect!" I heard Katie say as I walked up the stairs to the saloon. She was sitting at the chart table looking at weather, wave and wind maps both individually and over a map of the course she had plotted. On the other monitor an animation of all was running. She also obviously had been up for some time-already dressed in her windproofs, the jacket draped across the back of the chair. I walked up behind her and put my arms around her; she leaned back into me and looked up "Good morning, my love!" I gave her a quick kiss and said "Good morning, my love! Been up long?" She replied "A couple of hours...I disconnected us from shore power and water, walked the boat for a final inspection and double checked things to make sure they are properly stowed. We are ready to leave; all we have to do is cast off."

John came up the stairs, already dressed, his overnight bag in his hands. "'mornin' Martin! Well, I'd best be going if we're going to have the plane at Tahiti on time..." I said "You haven't had breakfast yet, we'll fix you something..." He laughed "We've already had a rather _leisurely_ one, sleepyhead! I looked at the time, it was past nine. "Why didn't you wake me?" Katie replied "Because you needed the sleep. You aren't used to the kind of travel we've been doing over the past two weeks-_we are_. You have to remember that you have _flown three quarters of the way around the earth _in the past three days. Your body doesn't know which end is up right now. We went from Houston at 95 degrees west to London at zero degrees then to here at 173 degrees east. You've also gone from 52 degrees north to 43 degrees south, too." John added with a laugh "And knowing my sister she has probably been wearing you out..." She got up and swatted him "What a _horrible_ thing to say about your sweet, innocent, chaste and demure sister!" He laughed "The only term that applies to you in that list is sweet! Judging by the fact that you are pregnant any claims you have to being chaste are spurious." He took my hand and shook it "It was nice meeting you, Martin, and I look forward to seeing you again! I have really enjoyed the talks we've had! You are a good man and I know my sister is in the best of hands." He hugged Katie "I'm _so glad_ for you! Be careful out there and have a good time! You take care of him, too. He is the _best thing_ that has ever happened to you. I know mom and dad would be proud of you, too. I love you!" She had tears in her eyes "I miss you _so much_! Please come visit us when you can, you know where we're at. And, yes, I will take the best of care of him! I love you!" He wiped the tears from her eyes "I will! I have to come see my new nieces or nephews and spoil them rotten. Besides, you won't be in some godforsaken place on the far edges of the map anymore. Well, I'd better go, I have a plane to move and you have to get going if you want to hit the backside of that low just right." We followed him out on deck and Katie said "Want to cast us off for good luck?" He laughed and said "Sure!" and started untying the boat from the pier and tossed the ropes to her "Fair winds and following seas to you two! See you later!" We waved and watched him walk down the pier. Katie hugged me, gave me a kiss and said "I'll get us going while you have some breakfast. We have about 10 miles of channel to clear and that will be slow going. Once we're out at sea she will_fly_!" She fired up the engine and started to maneuver the boat away from the pier and out into the channel that led to the ocean; I went in and made myself breakfast.

Breakfast done and the dishes washed I put on the windproofs that we'd picked up in London and joined her on deck. It was a cool morning, the channel fairly smooth and the scenery spectacular as we cruised by. I walked up behind her, put my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She leaned back into my embrace and we stood that way for some time-at peace and content. We neared the mouth of the strait and it became choppier and the wind picked up. "Here is where the fun begins..." she said as we broke our embrace. "I'll get us out into open water and then you can take over." We cleared the headland, she cut the engine and switched the props to generator mode, adjusted the daggerboards, started to shift the center of gravity of the boat aft by pumping the diesel and water into their aft tanks, started the routing computer, raised the mainsail and Code 0 and tacked out on a reach for about 10 miles then turned northeast and we were running before the wind. She raised the gennaker and it was like putting the pedal to the metal-the boat started to fly! She turned to me and said "She's all yours, let's see if you still remember how to sail!" then stepped aside so I could take the helm.

Over the following hours I manned the helm as the land faded off into the distance and finally all I saw was sea and sky. She taught me the idiosyncrasies of the boat, as I grew more comfortable with it I found myself becoming rather exhilarated. This boat was everything she made it out to be and more-it was a dream to sail and _fast_! We were going 22 knots in a 15 knot wind. A couple of times I hit the 'sweet spot' where everything was just right for it to start to hydroplane a bit and that was like a rocket engine went off-the boat leaped forward so fast it almost knocked me off my feet. She laughed at the look of surprise on my face the first time it happened "She likes you! You're making her feel good...here...let me show you how to tell when you're tickling her fancy. Let me have the helm for a bit but stand behind me and hold onto it, too. You can tell by listening to the sound the hull is making and the vibration in the helm." As she taught me I came to realize something-the boat wasn't just an inanimate object; it was almost a living being and it was telling me what it needed, what it liked, what it disliked and what was wrong in its own language of sound and vibration. Once that sunk into my head it was like we were old friends-I responded to her and she responded to me. After that it was like I had been sailing her for years and Katie made me an espresso and sat back under the Bimini and relaxed while I ran her through her paces with greater confidence and dexterity. Katie gave me a kiss and said "You understand her now, you two get to know each other better while I go make lunch. What would you like?" I thought about it for a moment and said "Surprise me." She surprised me with seared Wahoo sliced into thin loins with a soy-wasabi dipping sauce and vegetable rice. When it was ready I put her on autopilot and went inside to eat.

After lunch Katie taught me how jibe and reach with the boat and had me do that for a while to get the feel for doing it –when I was comfortable with it we went back to running with the wind and she relieved me at the helm. She told me that tacking is fairly easy with this boat because the sails have a self-tacking mechanism which makes that easier. The boat is so fast it will keep up with backside of the low we were riding and if we could we wouldn't need to do much tacking or close hauling. If we could keep our current pace we would arrive two days faster than she had planned on. A song came on the music system that we would dance to at home so I walked up to Katie, took her by the hand, flipped on the autopilot and we danced. We laughed as we did so-partially from the sheer feelings of freedom we had and partially because we were in windproofs, floatation devices, PLB's and foul weather boots. I asked her if they made a bigger version of this boat and she laughed "Yes they do, but it costs a lot more then I think we would be willing to spend. I could sell off some of my gold to fund one, though. Why?" I held her close and said "Well, this boat would be fine for our children and James, but what if we have more? It might get a bit crowded." She went silent in thought, I thought 'here it comes, she doesn't want more children'. Then she giggled and said "Trying to turn me into a good catholic girl, eh?" I gently ran my fingers through her hair and asked her flat out "Do you want more children if it's possible for us to do so?" She looked up at me and caressed my cheek "I told you that it was up to you, I'm not going to do anything to stop it from happening. But you're right, if we have more we're gonna need a bigger boat." She started to hum the theme music from "Jaws" then I remembered the quote in it about 'we're gonna need a bigger boat' from it and started laughing.

In the late afternoon something appeared off the port side... it was a small pod of whales! I grabbed the camera and shot some video of them for James. We wouldn't be able to keep our Skype schedule while we were on our honeymoon due to the 11 hour time difference but we could send each other emails and some short videos via FleetBroadband. When I used to sail we were pretty much cut off from the world even though we were doing coastal sailing-all we had was a radio. On this boat she has radios, of course, but she also has a terrific sound system, internet access, satellite telephones and once we anchor we will have satellite TV. All the comforts of home in the middle of the south Pacific...she had designed this boat to _be_ her home, after all.

We were treated to a spectacular sunset and as night approached I made us dinner while she manned the helm and set up for night running. When it was ready she set the navigation and autopilot systems to full automation. The boat would essentially sail itself making course and sail adjustments as conditions dictated and with full alarms in case anything dangerous turned up on either radar or sonar or if any of the systems failed. She referred to those alarms as 'hell's bells' and triggered a test of them to ensure they were functioning and so I could hear and recognize each. They were loud enough to wake the dead! We took off the windproofs and enjoyed dinner then cleaned up the galley. After dinner she set the interior lighting to the red nightlights and we went out and cuddled under the Bimini and looked at the stars. I had never seen so many in my life and the whole Milky Way was visible. We saw meteors falling and satellites pass by-the satellites the _only_ reminder that we were not the only people on the planet. A couple hours later we hit a phosphorescent patch of algae and the sea glowed in soft blue-green neon, the wake of the boat leaving a bright trail behind us. It was magical! She softly kissed me and whispered "Welcome to _my_ world..."


	55. Chapter 55-Nothing else matters

**_Chapter 55: Nothing else matters..._**

We were about halfway there when the ocean a couple miles ahead looked like land but it _wasn't land_-the last time I had been on land I didn't recall it bobbing up and down with the waves. Katie was just coming out of the bathroom and looked a little green. My poor baby was having a _bad_ bout of morning sickness this morning. I called out to her and pointed out the grey patch. She looked, ran up on deck, ran forward to look out over the bow and yelled "_SHIT!_ Drop the sails, **_NOW!_**" and ran back towards me. The tone in her voice was rather frightening and the use of expletives is something she rarely does (though I have discovered that my beautiful and charming wife can swear _better_ than a sailor at times). I dropped and furled the sails quickly and we started to slow down. I heard her mutter "_f**king_ Kermadec" as she looked at the grey patch as we drifted closer to it. I asked "What is it?" she looked at me and said "Pumice. If we had hit that at the speed we were going it would have sliced up the hull big time and probably wrecked the props, daggerboards and the rudders. Some of that crap can be as big as a basketball! Thank god we didn't run into it while we were asleep!" I then asked "What is Kermadec?" She replied "It's an ocean ridge and trench about 300 or so miles west of here. It has a couple of small islands and a very active seamount that is going to be an island soon. It occasionally pumps out a lot of pumice that forms rafts in the water, this one is small and we should be able to get through it OK but we will have to keep our eyes open for the rest of the day for other patches. We shouldn't run across any more, hopefully. This stuff is current driven for the most part and the current is running south east." She walked over to me and said "I'll get us through this. You go grab the camera, James and his classmates might find this interesting. Oh, grab the net, too. We'll collect some to bring back for him and his friends and some for ourselves. It's not every day you run across something like this!"

I had sent James photos and videos of the boat, the scenery of the part of New Zealand we had been to, the penguins and whales and emails describing the things we were seeing and doing. I received an email from Louisa along with daily one from James. She asked if we could make some videos and 'reports' for her to use as a teaching aid. Most of the children knew me and had seen the videos James made of his trip to Houston so knew Katie through them. James had been telling his friends and classmates about what we were seeing and showed them videos of the penguins in the harbor and the whales, Spinner dolphins and other creatures we had met at sea. Yesterday we had come across a large palm frond in the water surrounded by flying fish; she explained that they used things like this to lay their eggs on. Eventually it would become so laden with eggs it would sink but the babies would be OK and when they hatched they would migrate to the surface. Apparently all this sparked the curiosity of the children and they were asking questions of their teachers so Louisa and the other teachers decided to turn it into a school project. Katie was helping with this, too. She told them about the boat and how it works-most of the children at school only know sailing as a day activity sailing close to shore on small monohull boats or saw the occasional monohull yacht. She also told them about the geography and geology of New Zealand and the ocean floor below us, meteorology and oceanography. She had included a .pdf of the specifications of the boat and links to other materials for the teachers to use for their course plans. I provided perceptions as a newcomer to sailing in the open ocean and to this part of the world along with some biological information, a history of mankind in the area and the history of British exploration in general coupled with some family history. I also included links to the information I was providing.

We floated to a gentle stop in the midst of the pumice. It wasn't a very big patch, maybe a hundred yards wide and about a quarter mile long. It was maybe two inches thick. She took the camera and started shooting video of the raft and of me scooping out some of the pellets and putting them into a bucket. Most of them were about the size of a marble or smaller with a few that were the size of a cricket ball. I put some of them in my hand so she could shoot a close up of what they looked like. On one of the cricket ball sized ones a small crustacean was clinging to it. I held it up for her to shoot close up and asked her if she knew what it was, she didn't. I gently placed it and the ball of pumice it was attached to back in the water so it wouldn't die. That done she started to slowly maneuver the boat out of the patch slowly and once we had cleared it by a mile or so we went back to normal sailing operations and I took the helm again. She went inside and sent a hazard report of the location and nature of the pumice raft to the RNZN.

Since we had left Akaroa I had become _very comfortable_ with sailing this boat. I still had much to learn, of course, but it was coming to me easily. Katie was quite impressed and told me "You're a _natural_ at this! Must be all that Viking and Navy blood you've got running through your veins." We were in warmer waters and warmer weather so we had ditched the windproofs and were wearing regular clothes. It was quite nice and I must admit that I was really enjoying this trip. I had thought it might get to be a bit boring after the first day's excitement wore off but every day has brought gorgeous weather, beautiful sunsets, magnificent starlit nights, interesting events, strange creatures, and a growing appreciation for the subtle beauty of nature in the raw. You also learn a lot about the person you are with and I was beginning to understand what John had told me about her when we got off the plane. A person who could do the things she has done is _not_ foolhardy, reckless or has a 'death wish'-they are highly intelligent, meticulous, knowledgeable and understand _all aspects_ of where they are going, what they are doing and the capabilities of the equipment they are using to accomplish it. They _always_ prepare for the worst-not in _hope_ that it doesn't happen but so it _will__not_happen. I had originally thought that some of the actions she had taken and the safety features she had on board were a bit of overkill but as I began to understand the true scope of what we were doing and the dangers that could arise I realized the wisdom of it. One example is that we both wear floatation devices _and_ PLB's on deck, that is _mandatory with her_ and she did get a bit cross when I said that I thought the PLB's were a bit much. These PLB's will trigger themselves after a while if you are unconscious. She pointed out that if I fell overboard while she was in the bathroom for two minutes the search area for me would be about two square miles and would grow with each passing minute. Then she asked me how long I could survive in (at the time we had the discussion) 50 degree waters, 60 degree air temperature and six foot seas while she conducted a long, slow box search of the area for me with any air search capabilities that _might_ come to her assistance hours away. I thought about it and said "about four hours maximum" and she said "If I picked the wrong corner of the box to start at I would be fishing your body out of the water-_if_ there was a body to be found. _Something_ might be out there and think a thrashing around human might be a tasty snack. A pod of Orcas would have a _real_ _good time_ with you! At least I would know where you were, they would be tossing your body up in the air and playing with it before they ate you. Soft on the outside, crunchy on the inside. YUM!"

Early in the morning on day six of our passage she pointed out some clouds on the horizon and said "Those are over land. See the bright blue undersides of them? They are reflecting the color of the water." At noon we were seeing land based birds and land on the horizon. By afternoon we were in the passage to the lagoon-ye gods, was it shallow and narrow! Katie did this part of the passage, naturally. There was no way I could have done it without hitting coral or running it up on sand. She said "We hit this perfectly, sun to the west and at high tide. You have to be very careful here, it's so shallow and there are coral heads everywhere. Looks like its been dredged recently, though. We'll anchor at town then mosey off to where we'll stay for the duration -we have to check in, pay anchorage fees, get a pratique, go through inspection and get some information on the changes to the lagoon since I was last here anyway. Things may have changed so we may not be able to go to my preferred spot but there are many to choose from. I know Tautoru, the harbor master, so we shouldn't have any problems getting cleared to moor in the lagoon."

We pulled into the harbor and moored the boat. She was busy securing the boat and while I was inside getting our passports and other papers a short, black haired man walked up, gave her a big hug and "Kia Ora, Katie! Where have _you_ been? We haven't seen or heard from you for two years or so!" Katie looked up and said "Kia Ora, Tau! Its so good to see you again! How's the wife and kids?" He replied "Good and good! I'm assuming you need to check in, the doc is around here somewhere and he can sign off on the pratique..." He then saw me coming out of the saloon "Who the hell is _he_?" He laughed said with a twinkle in his eyes "You beenin' a _naughty_ _girl_?" She laughed "Yes I have been a _very__ naughty girl_, this is my husband." Tau laughed and gave her a kiss on the cheek "It's about _damned_ time! You needed a man in your life, the only person who couldn't see that was _you_. Sailing around the world on that big boat of yours all alone wasn't doing you any good and it was dangerous. So you going to introduce us or what?" She giggled and said "Tau, this is my husband, Dr. Martin Ellingham. Martin, this is Tautaro Williams-the harbor master and all around nice guy." We shook hands and he said "Nice to meet you! You must be _something_ to have tamed _that one_!" then he said to her "You always did like 'em tall and blond!" She swatted him and said "How would you know? I was always by myself!" He laughed and said "You must've, you married one! Come on, we'll get your papers processed and the inspection done. I'll get the doc over here to sign off on the pratique, too. How long are you staying for..."

We talked all the way up to the admin building where he processed our documents, gave us our permits and discussed anchorage spots "The place you usually anchor is open but is difficult to get to now going the old way. Your best bet is to sneak around the west side of Maina, anchor overnight then wait for low tide tomorrow and see if you can make it. A young man with cropped brown hair and beard walked in and said "You need another pratique done, Tau?" Tau said "Yes, these two, though I doubt there is anything wrong with them-he's a doctor." The man introduced himself "It's always nice to meet another doctor, my name is Dr. Ronald Tyler." I shook his hand and said "My name is Dr. Martin Ellingham and this is my wife Katie." He looked at me then said "_THE_ Martin Ellingham? The eminent cardiovascular surgeon? It is truly a pleasure to meet you! I have read many of your papers, sir! Well, sir, this is a mere formality that only takes a few minutes so let's get it started then you two can be on your way." While he was conducting his interview I found out that he was a recent graduate from medical school and he asked me some career advice "I can't really decide on a specialty so I took the job here as a stopgap until I made up my mind. I am finding that I really enjoy being a GP here but am afraid that I'm wasting my talents, what would you recommend that I do?" I replied "I was a GP for many years in Cornwall and you will see more and learn more about medicine doing that then specializing at the moment. The problem I find with most new doctors and surgeons is that they have too narrow a view which leads to misdiagnosis and errors in treatment. You need to understand how the body works as a _whole_ and how it works at different ages, too. There is no better practical way of doing so then being a GP. Use your time as a GP to _observe_ and _learn_. Then, after a couple years, if you still want to go into a specialty do so." He thanked me for the advice and signed off on the pratique. He also invited us to dinner at Tupana's when we come into town and we accepted.

Our paperwork done we went back to the boat and cast off then headed down the channel to the lagoon, it was a slow and shallow go of it until we got into the main lagoon. Then it was a bit less shallow and slow but it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, it was like being inside a living jewel. Just about every shade of blue imaginable, white sand bottom with purple coral heads surrounded by fish of all colors and shapes, the clouds starting to glow in the colors of the coming sunset, soft breezes, the muffled sound of the surf crashing against the reef in the distance. I was transfixed; Katie was concentrating on getting us to where we needed to go and was preoccupied. She rounded the west side of a small island, repositioned the boat then dropped anchor both the bow and stern anchors. She stood on the step next to me, put her arm around me and said "Here we are for the night. What do you think?" I was silent for a moment then said "You are right, this is paradise." She pulled me gently into her arms and we kissed a long, lingering kiss. When we parted she said "There are no worries, there are no problems, there is no danger, there is no pain, there is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow. All that exists in the world is right here, right now and it's _all so simple_-the sea, the sky, the soft breeze on your skin, the sound of the waves in the distance, white sand, green palm trees, our floating home, me and you. Nothing else matters..."


	56. Chapter 56-Island Time

**_Chapter 56-Island Time_**

The following weeks were..._blissful_. She made them that way.

It started with what she said the night we pulled into the lagoon and were anchored off Maina. We were lying out on the net sundeck after dinner enjoying the warm, soft breeze on our skin and watching the Milky Way wheel around the sky, finally able to truly relax after the our journey. "Martin, I know some of the aspects of your life before I met you. Some you have told me about, some I surmised from things you desperately _avoided_ talking about. These things I did not pressure you to talk about or convey in any manner and I will _never _do so. However, I know enough to have _a clue_. You gave it to me that first night we spent together when you said, and I quote "**_Your scars are on the outside, mine are on the inside. _**_When I gave you **a glimpse into the 'box of horrors' that had been my life** last night you didn't reject me-you gave me words of compassion, wisdom, healing and kindness that touched my very soul. The body is just a vehicle to carry the soul around and allows it to interact with another soul. **In our case my scars are the greater** and you have embraced them, how could I be so unkind not to embrace yours?"_ To me you have had a very _horrible_, hard and sad life. I only bring these things up not to make you sad or feel pain or remind you of them but as a preface to what I am about to say. For the next three weeks I am going to do my best to restore, repair and replace what you have lost. I am also going to do my best to help you box up all the bad things and bury them for good so your mind and soul can finally be set free. I will work on this project for the rest of my life because you are my soul mate and I love you with a love greater than the universe you see above you. You remember that dopey poster from the 1970's that said 'Today is the first day of the rest of your life'? Well, today is the first day of the rest of _our_ lives." As I listened to what she was saying tears welled up in my eyes, I felt like a man dying of thirst being offered a cup of water by gentle hands. She had already done so much to breathe life into me and heal my soul, could she help me take the _last step_ and finally set it free? She answered that question in my mind by gently cradling me in her arms and tenderly caressing me with loving hands until we both fell asleep under the stars.

I was awakened the next morning by the sound of flapping wings. A red tailed tropicbird had landed on the deck and was resting and preening before flying out to sea, above the colors of dawn were painting the clouds in pastel colors. I had never spent a night sleeping under the stars and I felt the same kind of detachment from the world that I had the morning after our wedding night. Same yet different. Our wedding night was a physical healing, last night was the beginning of a _spiritual_ healing. I lay there and watched the bird on the deck fly away and others above head out to sea in the growing light of the coming day. My mind was absent of thought, it was instead enjoying the messages my senses were sending to it-the changing light in the sky, the birds flying out to sea, the sound of the surf hitting the reef, the smell of flowers and the sea, the feel of the soft breeze on my skin and Katie snuggled up next to me. I lay like that for some time until the alarm on Katie's watch went off and she said with a yawn "I don't wanna get up..." She saw that I was awake and kissed me. "Good morning, sweetheart! It was so nice sleeping out here last night! Did you sleep well, my love?" I caressed and kissed here "Good morning, love! Yes, I did! It was so comfortable and peaceful, I have never done something like this before." She gave me a quick peck and got up, looked at her arm and laughed "I look like a waffle! Low tide is in about 90 minutes and we have to try to get to my spot before it hits. Once we get there we aren't budging and then we're on _island time_. The watches go in the drawer." She went aft and lowered the tender, came back and got in it. "I'm going on a scouting expedition, wanna come along?" I asked "What about the boat?" She replied "It'll be OK...That's _the beauty_ of this place...there is no one here except us and the birds." I smiled then hopped in and we were off. As it turned out her spot was now inaccessible so she decided that the next best place was on the southeastern tip of the island, with the big sliding glass doors and deck hatches open to the prevailing wind it would keep the interior of the boat cool and well ventilated. Two hours later the boat and the tender were beached at the spot and secured and we were having breakfast. She explained that there would probably be some kite surfers on the island later in the day but they would be at the northern tip and wouldn't bother us.

After breakfast we went snorkeling with some brightly colored butterflyfish and walked on the brilliant white sand that made up the majority of the island. During that time we saw only one small boat in the distance. At the northern tip of the island she pointed out the place where the kite surfing 'tour' usually set up shop then pointed back towards the boat, all you could see of it was the mast, the white hull blended in with the surroundings. She put her arm around my waist and said "They would have to make a real effort to bother us and they aren't going to waste their time doing so. Those people pay good money to be brought out here and aren't going to do anything but kite surf. The guys who run the tour know me and know my boat and will make sure we aren't bothered. Most of the kayak rentals are further up the main island and those people aren't going to paddle out this far. There are no private motorboat rentals or jet skis. So, you see, except for a minor invasion on the opposite side of the island for a couple of hours three times a week we are all alone out here." I pulled her into a close embrace and asked "Well, what should we do today?" She put her arms around me, hands caressing the skin on my back "Whatever we feel like doing..." So we did what we felt like doing and we learned something new in doing so-bring a blanket or sand gets into _everything_. We had sand in places _no sand_ had ever gone before!

A long shower with a friend to dislodge the sand and a light lunch under the Bimini later we relaxed and talked while I wrote my daily email to James and sent him a personal video and Katie and I wrote a 'report' and sent video to Louisa. Then I finished my online PADI course and received my certification of completion. While I was taking the test Katie was getting the scuba gear out of the storage locker, inspected hers to make sure everything was functioning properly, filled all of the tanks and put on her wetsuit. It wasn't the one I saw in the dream, it was _better_ and I was _definitely_ not disappointed! I wondered to myself if I was developing some sort of bizarre neoprene fetish which worried me for approximately 0.0029 seconds then I thought '_Any heterosexual male_ who saw her in that would be developing a neoprene fetish!' She started giggling at me then walked over and gently pushed my mandible up to close my mouth then said "Go put yours on, you _naughty man_! Having such _evil thoughts_ about your instructor..." I went to do so and thought 'Maybe this isn't going to be as bad as I thought...in fact it might be quite rewarding in more than one way...' I finally wriggled into it and went to join her on deck, it was my turn to walk up to laugh at her and push her mandible up to close her mouth. "_Nasty woman_! Having such _evil _thoughts about your student, I should report you!" She giggled and said "Hubba, Hubba! _Everyone_ _in the world_ knows what you're packin' in that thing! Pardon me for a moment while I give my brain a cold shower...ah, much better." I checked my gear so it was functioning properly and she observed to make sure I did it correctly then we put it all on and adjusted it, checked the valves to make sure they were opened properly and stepped off the back of the boat into the water. Though the boat had its bows on the beach the water off the back end was about 5 feet deep, perfect for walking me through the first of the 'baby steps' of a first dive. We walked through the rest as we headed off the sand shelf that surrounded the island and into the lagoon. Right before we dropped off into the lagoon she told me "You are a _natural_ at this, too! You get an A+ so far! Now...this part of the lagoon is no deeper than 15-20 feet so I'm going to let you 'run' a bit. Remember what you have learned, remember to breathe properly, relax, take it easy and just go explore...I will be _right beside you_ in case you need help or in case there is trouble. If I signal you to do something you do it _without question_. Ready? OK, let's go frolic with the fishies!"

The sunlight was hitting the water just right to make all the colors glow vibrantly. It seemed almost surreal. I concentrated on making sure I was breathing properly and had to remind myself to check my diving computer. Fish of all kinds surrounded us as Katie held up a piece of a Coconut for them to nibble on, they also nibbled on my hands, face and the exposed part of my feet and it tickled. A turtle swam up to inspect us and she broke off a piece of coconut and offered it the turtle and it ate it. Then it swam over and came right up to my mask and looked me in the eyes. We saw giant clams that had lips in shades of brilliant turquoise, vivid blue and luminous violet, delicate corals in purple and violet with blue damsel fish flitting around in them. Blue starfish (called Etu Moana locally), pink nudibranchs, and the strange looking Anenome Prawns. It was over all too soon. Katie tapped me on my shoulder and motioned at her dive computer that it was time to go up. I didn't want to. She saw that in my eyes and nodded that yes, it was time to go and pointed the way back to the boat. We headed back and once we got back in shallow water we took off the masks and mouthpieces. She smiled "Did you enjoy it?" I took her in my arms and gave her a kiss "Can we go again?" She threw head back in laughter "You sounded just like James after his helicopter ride! Except his voice is an octave or two higher. We can go tomorrow at the same time; the sunlight makes things so pretty then. Besides, I gotta get out of this wetsuit...my boobs are killing me! I guess I won't be wearing this one again...at least not on this trip." I held her in my arms "Is it starting to get bad?" "Yes, but that comes with the territory. I suspect it will be worse as time goes on. God, I hope I don't become one of those always tired, angry and grumpy pregnant women!" I kissed her forehead "If you do always know that I understand and will try to do my best to help you." She caressed my cheek "If I do always know that it's the hormones and the discomfort that are 'driving the bus' and that I love you."

Later that night as she slept I went out and sat out on the Bimini watching the stars, lost in thought. I thought about the coming months and how best to help her through what would be a difficult and sometimes frightening time. I thought about my research project and if it worked as intended the clinical trials that would follow. I thought about the events of the day and the magical worlds she has introduced me to and the ones she would introduce me to. I thought about how much I was enjoying myself and how much of my life I had wasted being bitter and angry. I thought about being a father and having a family and how I wanted to make sure we came here as often as we could-it was a magical, healing place and one that children would enjoy. I thought about checking into how much a bigger version of this boat would cost and how long it would take to build. I thought about the strange eyes of the turtle as it peered into mine and wondered what it thought of me. I thought about the fact that we would need to get her a new vehicle, that Civic coupe of hers would not be the easiest thing to get two car seats in and out of. I thought about what she said to me last night and how I felt when she did. I thought about telling her my deepest, darkest secret and how that might affect her and how it might affect me. I felt I had to in order to make sure it was truly dead and bury it forever and allow myself to be finally free of it. The only person I had ever told was Auntie Joan and she must've told Aunt Ruth, either that or Ruth just guessed it from all the signs and symptoms I now knew I had been displaying all my life. It would be a very difficult thing for me to discuss with her and that I would be exposing my bare soul to her. Could I handle it? Could she?

I thought about those two questions for quite some time. In the end I decided I would tell her before we left here. I felt a strange calm come over me, like the last bit that held me down was starting to release me. I went back inside and climbed in to bed next to her. As I did she stirred and said "Is there something wrong, hun? You were out there for a long time." I took her in my arms and said "Katie, there is something I have to tell you..."


	57. Chapter 57-It's All Here!

**_Chapter 57: It's All Here!_**

"Nothing good ever starts with 'there is something I have to tell you'..." she said as she gently caressed my cheek. "No, it's _not good_ but I feel I have to tell you so you can understand..." I fell silent. I just _couldn't_ do it; the pain and embarrassment were still too great. I thought the monster was dead but I was discovering that it still had some life to it still. She got up and took my hand "I _do_ understand...come with me..." I followed her and we went up and sat under the Bimini and she comforted me as we watched the starlight reflect on the water. After some time she said with a gentle voice "My love...I already _know_ and I _understand_. It is _not_ your fault! You were forced against your will. You _tried_ to fight as best as you could but you were just a child and you were beaten into submission. You _tried_ to get help from the _one person_ who _should have protected you _and was beaten into silence and imprisoned-her social standing was more important to her than her own child. You knew you had nowhere else to turn to get help because you knew that no one would have believed you and any attempt to do so would bring on terrible beatings to silence you. You have borne a great burden of fear...guilt...shame...anger...and pain...both physical and psychological, that _no one_ should have had to and you have done so _for your entire life_. Instead of allowing it to consume and destroy you, _like it would have destroyed a lesser person_-you rose above it and _endured_. Only a _very strong person_ could do so and I _admire_ you for that-you are _not_ a victim, you are a _fighter_ and a **_survivor_**...The problem you face now is that you do not know how to finally kill of that_ horrible_ monster in your mind, you have tried for years and _are trying_ but can't quite figure out how to do it. I can help you do so. The first step is to _forgive yourself_ and know that, despite the fact that you tried mightily, there was _nothing_ you could have done to stop it. You were a _small child_ and the forces arrayed against you were just too great. The second step is forgiving _them_. I know that will be very difficult to do but as I once told you forgiveness is _not_ about the person or persons you are forgiving, _it is all about you_. Once you can take that step you will be truly able to let go of those memories and they will no longer have any power over you- the fear, guilt, shame, anger and pain will fade. I know that taking that step will be very difficult but you will eventually be able to do it. Know always that you are _not alone anymore_ in this fight-I am here to help, more than that I am here to protect you. _I will not allow anyone to hurt you ever again_. If I have to, I will kill for you. If I have to, I will die for you. Together we will slay the monster, bury its stinking carcass in the depths of the ocean never to rise again and finally set you free."

As I listened the tears came, but they were different tears. They were tears of relief and of healing. She _did_ understand and I knew that finally I was no longer alone in the battle. I asked in a quiet voice "How did you know?" She gently wiped the tears from my eyes and kissed me. "You told me. Not in words but by the words that I could tell that you _dared_ not say. You also told me by certain patterns of behavior that either you told me about or I observed. I finally knew on our wedding night after we got home. Your body language confirmed my suspicions." She gently released me from her embrace and got up, took my hand and said "Come and sleep with me, my love. We have fought a great battle tonight and the 'old you' has died and the 'new you' has been born. Being reborn is exhausting work." We went back to bed and she took me in her arms and caressed and comforted me until I drifted off to sleep. It was the first time I truly slept peacefully in as long as I can remember.

I awoke the next morning feeling drained but good..._so good_! I looked at the angle of the sun coming through the windows and knew it was late morning. She was already up and probably had been for some time, the morning sickness was getting to be a regular feature and would hit like clockwork at about 7am. I didn't know the precise time because we had put our watches in the drawer with her saying as we did so "When we are here time as it exists in the rest of the world has no meaning, here it is the time that nature sets and nature's only clock is the sun, moon and stars." I put on my robe and went up the stairs to the saloon; I could hear the espresso machine at work and the smell of the coffee drifting on the perfumed air. She walked over to me as I was coming up the stairs, gave me a kiss and handed me the cup of espresso "Good morning, my love! I hope you slept well! It's a beautiful day! Would you like something to eat?" I set the coffee down, swept her into my arms and kissed her, trying to convey in my kiss all the things I felt and she responded in kind. When we came up for air I let my eyes and caresses do the talking, there were no words that were adequate to express how I felt. She smiled and looked into my eyes, gently holding me in her arms. We stayed that way for a very long time. My stomach growled. She kissed me and said quietly "Come, let me make you some breakfast, you must be staving..." I laughed and said "I _am_ really hungry!" She smiled and said "So am I! What would you like, my love?" I thought for a moment and said "How about 'ze toast ov luv'?" She giggled "One batch of 'ze toast ov luv' coming right up! We're going to have to go to town and get some freshies today-we are down to our last two eggs and almost out of fresh fruit and veg. We can pick up some fresh fish, too." I sat down and sipped my coffee "Sounds good! Want to go after breakfast? Then we will have the rest of the day to do what we want." She smiled and said "Sounds like a plan! We will have to take the boat to town one day to dump the grey and black water and replenish our potable water and diesel. While we are there doing so we should spend the rest of the day there and go for a tour around the main island. It is really beautiful! We will need to rent scooters to get our shopping done...do you know how to drive a scooter?" "I had one as a student at Oxford so am familiar with using one, I haven't ridden one in a very long time, though." She smiled as she flipped 'ze toast ov luv' "Good! We can take it easy until you get the hang of it again. There are very few large vehicles on the island so the roads are clear for most of the time...you won't have to worry about dodging cars or trucks."

After breakfast we showered, dressed and secured the boat then hopped in the tender and headed for town. She asked me "Have you ever operated a small craft like this?" I replied "No, never one with a motor. I can row and punt, though." She laughed and motioned me to switch places with her "No time like the present to learn, try not to run over the coral!" She pushed us off then showed me how to lower, start and operate the motor and we were off. I found it easy and quite fun to operate once I got used to it and soon we were at the dock in Arutanga. We went and got our driver's licenses then rented a couple of scooters to go around and do our shopping. At one shop they had some beautiful sarongs and she bought a couple to wear on the boat. I drew her attention to the coconut bras, she laughed, looked down at her breasts and said "We're gonna need bigger coconuts, hun!" and we both burst out laughing. She bought me a rayon shirt with a small, and rather tasteful, geometric print on it and said "I know that you wouldn't be caught _dead_ wearing this back home but it will be perfect for here. Nice and cool and appropriate dress. I won't tell, but for a small stipend I won't send any pictures of you wearing it to Claire!" We had an excellent lunch at the Koru Café, while we were there she had a fit of giggles and whispered "Catch this guy...he has a balcony you could do Shakespeare from!" I casually looked up to see one of the most impressive cases of Gynecomastia that I had ever seen. I said "WOW…I could write a paper on that!" She giggled and whispered "He could get a job at Hooters with a rack like that...he's got bigger coconuts than I do! I really _didn't_ need to see him in the budgie smugglers, though...ooh, ooh, ooh-catch the comb over!" We both looked; she used her binoculars to view it up close, and started giggling like a couple of kids. When I had caught my breath I said "A wonderful day with the woman I love, an excellent lunch, the most impressive case of Gynecomastia I have ever seen and the world's worst comb over-_it's all here!_" We lingered over lunch and coffee trying to think of names for the fictitious paper I was going to write about the case of Gynecomastia we observed. Katie asked if it might be a side effect of wearing really tight budgie smugglers. I thought about it and told her that she may be on to something but I didn't think anyone would really want to do the research to prove or disprove the hypothesis. After lunch we did the grocery shopping and returned the scooters. As we walked back to the tender I carried the backpack with our purchases and we held hands. I thought to myself that, all things considered, it had turned out to be a perfect day.

Back at the boat we put the groceries away and went diving, she had to wear her silver-grey skinsuit because the other one was too tight in the chest. It had turned into a warm day so I decided to skip the wetsuit and wear my swim trunks. The sun shone brightly overhead through the turquoise water and the reef was a hive of activity. I thought to myself that for the first time I truly felt content and at peace-I knew that it was just a matter of time before I was finally free of the last monster; Katie had mortally wounded it this morning. Around me were small coral reefs and white sand with a rainbow of brightly colored fish swimming about. It truly looked like I was swimming in an aquarium-it was _so_ _perfect_. Everything was perfect. In the corner of my eye I caught a flash of something big and grey. Instinctually my mind shrieked 'Shark!' and I was startled but I saw it was not a Shark but something else. It was Katie…as she swam towards me I thought 'It's the dream!' She looked into my eyes and caressed my chest-I know she was thinking the same thing. She pointed at her diving computer (I thought it was a watch in the dream) and gave me a 'thumbs up' and started to surface. I followed. We took off our masks and mouthpieces at the surface; she giggled and said "Race you to the boat!" We raced and I won thanks mostly to the seven inch difference in height between me and her. We took off our tanks and other gear and stowed them then we headed for the shower to wash the salt off. She started the shower and I started to slowly unzip her skinsuit, my lips leaving a trail of kisses in the wake of the zipper. She started to caress me and I stopped her "I can't give you a full massage due to your condition, but there are many things that I can do safely to relax and pleasure you...all you have to do is _just breathe_..." She smiled, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, relaxed and became putty in my hands. With caresses and kisses I removed her suit and gently washed the salt off her body, then softly toweled her off. She kept her eyes closed the whole time and was enjoying the sensations I was giving her. I picked her up and placed her on the bed and proceeded to massage her, working from the extremities inward and carefully avoiding the areas that I knew I must. The look on her face was one of bliss. I gently cuddled her and caressed her afterwards and soon she was asleep in my arms and I fell asleep in hers. I awoke and woke her with kisses and caresses, she started to respond and I whispered "_just breathe_..."

While she dozed after love I carefully climbed out of bed and started to prepare dinner. I made the marinade for the Mahi Mahi and placed the fillets in it, then went to get a fresh coconut for the rice. She had shown me how to climb one safely with a leather strap and a jute rope and there was one palm that was growing almost horizontally over the water so was very easy to climb. As I was doing so I thought to myself '_Chapter 14: The Eminent Cardiovascular Surgeon Harvests a Coconut for Dinner' _and started laughing so hard at the Victorianesque prose that was running through my mind to accompany that chapter heading that I almost fell out of the tree. I then followed it with _'Chapter 15: The Eminent Cardiovascular Surgeon Falls out of Palm Tree'_ accompanied by even more Victorianesque prose. I had to hug the palm for dear life because I was laughing so hard. I heard her laughing at me laughing and hanging on for dear life halfway up the tree "What in the _hell_ are you laughing about up there, ya nut? Get it? Coco _NUT!_" then imitated a comedy drum roll and said "I'm here all week, try the veal..." She was standing at the bottom wearing one of the sarongs that she bought earlier around her waist and _nothing else_, the colors of the sunset glowing on her skin and breasts. It was a beautiful sight and I fell silent taking it in, then I started laughing again "You said we needed bigger coconuts..." She started laughing "You crazy, nutty, wonderful man! Don't fall out of the tree, hun! I love you and I like you _stiff_, but not _all over!_" I started laughing as I revised the title to _"Chapter 15: The Eminent Cardiovascular Surgeon Gets a Stiffy and Falls out of Palm Tree" _and she started howling with laughter. I eventually made it to the top of the tree and selected the biggest coconut on it, cut it off the tree and dropped it down to her then carefully climbed back down. When I got back down I took her in my arms and kissed her, the feel of her breasts on the bare skin of my chest had their usual effect. I undid her sarong and laid her down upon it, I laughed and said _Chapter 16: The Eminent Cardiovascular Surgeon Gets a Stiffy and His Wife Drops the Coconut. _She stated giggling and said "_Chapter 17_: _The Eminent Cardiovascular Surgeon Drops More Than a Coconut on His Wife.' _We laughed and kept on inventing more chapters to the book as we made love, the colors of the fading sunset reflected on sea, clouds and sand.

It was almost dark before we got back to the boat. We brushed the sand off each other and she shook the sand off her sarong. I brought her a bottle of water and told her to sit back and relax while I made our dinner of marinated Mahi Mahi with coconut rice and mango salsa. As she relaxed she checked the weather forecast and satellite pictures-the forecast called for rain and thunderstorms starting later on tonight and lasting all day tomorrow. "Looks like the rain is almost here, I would guess it is about two to four hours off. It will be cooler, too. The good thing about that is that we can collect rain water to replenish our potable water-we can desalinize, of course, but fresh water is always better." I set the table and served dinner, it was a new recipe and it turned out to be delightful and she complimented me on it. She told me to sit back and relax while she cleared the table, put the dishes in the dishwasher and tidied the galley. I went out under the Bimini and saw flashes of lightning in the far distance, she came out and joined me and we sat and watched the light show approach. She grew pensive and I wondered what might be the matter. "What's bothering you, sweetie?" She sat silent for a moment then looked at me and said "Martin, there is something I have to tell you..."


	58. Chapter 58-Every Picture Tells a Story

**_Chapter 58: Every Picture Tells a Story_**

I repeated the words that she had said to me less than 24 hours ago "Nothing good ever starts with 'there is something I have to tell you'..." She looked away towards the distant lightning and sighed "No, it isn't bad, it is really _strange_ and it's _scaring_ me right now." I put my arm around her "It's OK...I love you and am here to help in any way I can. What is troubling you, my love?" She leaned against me and sighed then was silent. I was bracing myself mentally for the worst and tried to think of what the worst might be. I already knew the story about the fire-both from her and Danny, what could be _worse_ than that?

She sighed again then began "Martin, I have never told _anyone_ this before and it is going to sound _very_ surreal. After what I learned tonight it is even more surreal to me than it ever was before-_and scary!_ This is going to be very _difficult_ to explain...I guess the best place to start is at the beginning...I told you about the fire and all that happened to me during and after it but I left out a part of the story. While I was lying in the snow bank for a time I was floating above myself like a balloon looking down at my burned and bloody body. I could see things clearly like it was a 'sorta daylight', for lack of a better term, even though it was the middle of the night and cloudy with a light snow falling-if there was an Aurora it was obscured. I saw Snowy fight the Wolverine to protect me, and then when the Wolverine moved on to my mother she laid down on top of me. I saw the Wolverine tearing my mother's burned body apart and eating her, I saw it drag pieces of her away to its food cache, too. I thought it strange because I could hear _nothing_...feel _nothing_...smell _nothing_...it was all like a silent movie. It stated getting lighter like the sun was coming up but it wasn't the sun-it was like one of those big spotlights like you see at a movie premier, brilliant white. I thought that maybe a helicopter had come to rescue me and the light was its spotlight but I heard no sound. Then it felt like the string that tied the balloon that was 'me' to my body snapped and I floated away into the light and_ through_ the light. I found myself in a wondrous place, at the time I thought it looked like something out of a Disney movie-it was so _beautiful_ and the colors were so _vivid!_ There are no words that can quite describe it. It was warm and there were meadows, trees, flowers, animals and landscapes I can't truly describe. I wish I could paint or draw to show you what they looked like but there are no colors on this planet that would do the colors I saw justice. They all pale in comparison."

"I wandered around in this 'place' and found that I could do things that I couldn't do before. If I wanted to fly I could fly like a bird, if I wanted to swim underwater like a fish I could. _I felt so good! _There was no fear, no hurt, no pain, no cold, no fire, no Wolverine...I wanted to stay there _forever_! I was _more_ than happy; I don't know what word could truly describe how I felt. Then I heard it...'Katherine Rose, you are not supposed to be here yet-it is _not_ your time.' It was my mother's voice! I looked around for her crying 'Mama...mama, where are you?' I was 'transported', for lack of a better word, to a gazebo like structure near a beautiful waterfall and surrounded by trees with brilliant flowers all over them and multihued trunks and branches. It wasn't a gazebo like we know it-sorta like a gazebo made out of intricately carved stone-so intricate that it looked like the stone was a living thing and the stone was gemlike and multicolored. It's so _hard_ to describe..."

"She was there but it wasn't 'her', not how I knew her-it was like she was illuminated by that spotlight, she _glowed_. I 'ran' to hug her but there was nothing to hug. I asked 'Mama, what's going on? Why can't I hug you?' She smiled at me and said 'Because I no longer have a body.' I started to feel sad 'I know, I saw the Wolverine eat you...I don't understand...' She said 'Listen, daughter, we don't have much time. You **_must_** go back to where you belong; you aren't supposed to be here. You have many years to live and many things to do and to be before you can come back here and stay.' I started crying 'I don't want to go and leave you! I don't want to go back! It _hurt_ so much and I was so _scared_-here it is _so_ _nice_! _Please_ _don't make me go_...' I 'felt' her cradle me, she didn't pick me up or anything like that, it just _felt_ the way it did when she would cradle me in her arms and rock me in the rocking chair before she would tuck me into bed. When she did so we were 'transported' to another place-we were standing on a flat plain that extended to the horizon in all directions and the plain looked like it was made out of polished crystal. Above it was a sky filled with _every_ star that had _ever_ been, it was dark but the light was so bright...amidst the stars swirled something that looked like the best and most beautiful Aurora ever, but it wasn't an Aurora...it is just the best way I can describe it." She said to me 'You _have_ to go back. Your daddy _needs_ you! It will break his spirit to lose his little girl. You need to help him... ' I cried 'Daddy can come here and be with us and we will be _so happy_!' She replied 'He can't come here yet and if you don't go back he won't be able to _ever_ come here and be with us...' I sobbed 'But I don't want to go back-_it hurts_ _and the Wolverine will eat me!_' She said gently 'You also have to go back because there are many things you _have to do_ before you come back here. Things that only you can do and they are important things...' I was panicking '**_I don't care!_** I want to stay here! _Please don't make me leave!_ I want to fly like a bird and swim in the water with the pretty fish!' I could feel her 'hug' me and soothe me..." She groaned "Oh, god...this is where it gets _scary_..." and she started sobbing.

I got up to get some tissues and came back and held her and gently rocked her. I took a couple tissues out of the box and dried her tears then held it up to her nose and said "blow..." She smiled a wan smile and took the tissues and blew her nose, then took a drink of water. In the distance we could hear the first mutterings of thunder and the lightning was brighter and more frequent. "Will you be OK here for a moment? I'll go and shut all the portholes and deck hatches." She nodded and I went to do so. It needed to be done and I felt she needed a moment to collect herself so she could continue. What I was hearing was incredible! It was one of the most detailed recounting of a near death experience I had ever heard or read about. As a surgeon I deal with life and death all the time and these experiences are rare, but I _know_ that they _do_ happen. Maybe hers is so vivid because she was a child when it occurred and didn't have any predisposition to discount what happened. To her it was a really strange 'dream' that she filed away in her mind. I finished my task then went back out under the Bimini and asked "What about the boat? Is it grounded?" She nodded that it was and I sat down next to her and took her in my arms to comfort her, she leaned against me and sighed, was silent for a few minutes then continued.

"My mother told me 'I know that this is very hard for you to understand but if you don't go back the lives of many people will be affected. _They need you to help them_.' You like helping people, don't you?' I felt myself nodding in agreement. I always really liked helping people so, in retrospect, maybe this is why she took this approach with me. Then she 'showed me' the other people I needed to help-showed is a poor term, it was like they were 'projected' into my mind like a dream and it was all in black and white, no color, no sound. One of them was my father and she said 'You _have_ to help your daddy otherwise he will hurt himself and die and he will never be able to be with us again...' The next were three children, two that were my age and one was a little baby but all I could see of it was its shape surrounded by mist and she said 'If you don't go back they will never exist. One day you will be their mama and they are your children.' Then I saw a man with dark hair and a beard-he had a parka on with a wolf fur fringe on the hood. To me, when I saw this, he just looked like another grownup like the ones that were my father's friends but I would guess now that he was in his 30's or early 40's. 'In the future you will save this man's life; _you are the only one in the world who will be able to_.' The final person was a skinny little boy about my age, maybe a bit older. He looked very sad. 'You have to help this poor little boy. He has had a very hard life and you are the only one who can take his pain away and make him laugh and be happy.' I asked her 'Why me?' She said gently 'One day you will understand it all...But for _right now_ know that it is not your time to be here, you have to go back.' I asked 'Do I have to?' She said 'Yes, Katherine Rose. You can't stay here.' I said 'I don't know how I got here and I don't know how to go back.' She pointed up the swirly Aurora thing and said 'Fly like a bird towards that. It is the gateway back home. Remember that I love you _always_ and one day we will be together forever.' I started to cry and said 'OK, mama...I will go back if you say I must, but I don't want to. I love you, mama!' I felt this...I don't know how to describe it...this great wave of love wash over me. Then I felt like I was being picked up by her like a small bird in her hands and she 'threw' me up into the air and said 'Fly, child!' and I flew towards the Aurora swirly thing. When I flew through it everything went dark and the next thing I knew was that I was hearing Greg saying 'We need an air ambulance over here, **_now!_**' and felt someone wrapping me in blankets. The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital."

"I thought all of that was just some weird dream I had that night in the snow bank and put it in a box and filed it away on a dusty shelf in the far reaches of my mind. Occasionally I would think about it, though. Twenty or so years later I saw a program on TV about 'near death experiences' and I realized that what the people being interviewed on the show were talking about sounded like that weird hallucination I had but didn't really think more about it until recently."

She got up and said "Be right back..." and she went back inside and down to our cabin. She returned with a washcloth. "I had never seen any of the people I saw in the hallucination and wasn't married nor had ever planned on doing so. My life wandered along on its twisting path between the poles like it normally did. I have always had prescient dreams, not often but I do. Then I started having those dreams, the ones we both had in different forms-but I never connected them to anything other than a strange coincidence of precognition. When I found out I was pregnant I _did_ think about what I saw in the hallucination and it felt strange...maybe there was some truth in what I saw but I didn't think any more about it. I have had so many _strange things_ happen to me over my life; this was just another one of them. Then today, while you were out getting a coconut, I woke up and went to check the weather on the computer. I knew the low was coming and wanted to check its progress and projected effects. I accidentally tripped over your laptop case and an envelope fell out and its contents spilled out on the floor. They were obviously old family photographs and I didn't really examine them, I was just picking them up and putting them back in the envelope until I came across _this one_." She unfolded the washcloth to reveal a photo of me that my Aunt Joan took on one of our trips to the seashore. I was my typically sad and depressed self, sitting on a rock and looking down. She said **"YOU ARE THE 'POOR LITTLE BOY' I SAW IN IT! **I am so _freaked_ out right now...this is the _first real thing_ that indicates to me that what I saw that night was not some strange hallucination! My father in it made sense, the children _now_ make sense; you_ are_ the boy I saw..._Who is the man with the beard? _Oh, Martin... What does it all mean?" She buried her head in my chest and started sobbing. I held her and rocked her gently while my mind processed what she had told me. She eventually fell asleep in my arms, exhausted. I thought about the lines from Rami that she selected to be read at our wedding _'Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along.'_ From what she has just told me those lines were, for her, the truth. Four of the six people she was sent to 'help' were now accounted for and with their being accounted for makes everything she saw to be 'real', well as 'real' as something like this can get. All this was, as Shakespeare put it so aptly in a line from Hamlet _'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy'_. It was beyond my ability to explain rationally and scientifically, that is for sure.

I wondered if I had some repressed memory or dream of her. My memories of childhood were, understandably, few and very fragmented-they were things that I buried as quickly as I could every time they popped into my head. Then I thought maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. I remember most of my dreams, but I am twelve years older than her so I needed to search my teenaged and adult dreams and memories. Then I remembered!

It was the trip I took to Port Wenn to take Edith to meet Auntie Joan. Edith and I were at the pub and this young woman about 18 or so years old walked in and asked John if he had a room available. She was noticeable to everyone in the pub because of the American accent, but was quite noticeable to me because _I felt instantly attracted to her_-thick, medium length chestnut brown hair, pretty face with bowed lips, her figure on full display in tight jeans and (as I know now as being her favorite kind of shirt to wear) grey cotton Henley long john shirt with the top two buttons undone, _black_ ranger belt and moccasins. I couldn't see her eyes because she was wearing a pair of Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses. John said he did have a room and she rented it for the night, he gave her the key and she took her bag upstairs. My eyes followed her as she went which prompted a bitchy comment out of Edith and that led to an argument. We were still quietly arguing when she came back down the stairs. I watched her as she went and ordered a ploughman's and a pint, which stirred up Edith even more. As she waited for her order the male patrons at the bar started chatting her up, I listened to what she said while arguing with Edith. One asked her where she was from and she said "I'm from Alaska. I'm here touring your beautiful country for the summer. Everyone is so _nice_ here!" Another asked her what she did for a living "Oh, I'm a student at the University of Washington in Seattle. During the summers I usually work as a bush pilot for my dad, but he died last winter so I decided to go see something of the world this summer." Edith noticed I was distracted and stormed out of the pub and left me sitting there and the woman at the bar stared at me. I wanted to go up and talk to her but I thought I'd better go chase Edith down before she did something stupid and got up and left.

The first raindrops started to fall so I gently picked Katie up and carried her to our cabin and tucked her up into bed then went back to close the door and turn off the lights. The wind was starting to blow and the thunder was louder and the lighting strikes closer. I climbed into bed and took her gently in my arms and held her until I drifted off to sleep to the lullaby of raindrops on the deck.


	59. Chapter 59-What's Not to Like?

**_Chapter 59: What's Not to Like?_**

A loud clap of thunder woke me from my sleep. I looked up at the clear deck hatch above the bed to see the rain falling heavily upon it with the occasional bright flash of light from the lightning in the clouds. The lagoon was getting a bit choppy from the wind and the boat was rocking slightly, but not uncomfortably. It was morning, probably sometime after 7am judging from the fact that the space where Katie should be sleeping was empty. I put my robe on and went up to the saloon to see what she was doing. She was sitting at the chart table editing the video we had shot during our dives for Louisa's school project. I walked up behind her and put my arms around her and kissed the top of her head "Good morning, sweetheart! Feeling better?" She put her hands on my arms and looked up "Good morning, my love! Yes, I am actually...about _everything_. I am sorry I got so upset last night and hope you understand. I haven't been that freaked out in a long time! In thinking about it this morning I can at least be happy-if all of what I saw is true then I know my mom went to a good place and I will see her again-that _comforts_ me. The guy with the beard still bugs me though but there is no point in thinking about it-I'll find out if and when I find out. And, as a free bonus gift, I was just queasy this morning. I didn't have to place a phone call to Ralph." I gave her a quick kiss "Good! Have you had breakfast yet?" She replied "No. I was waiting for my stomach to settle and for you to wake up." She started to get up and I put my hands on her shoulders and started to massage them "Mmmmmm...I'll give you _five hours_ to stop that..." I started massaging her neck "I'll make breakfast this morning, you sit and relax. What would you like?" She thought for a moment and said "Surprise me." I kissed the back of her neck and went to the galley to prepare breakfast.

After breakfast we showered and dressed. As expected the rain was going to last all day so we decided to work on materials for Louisa's school project and my daily email to James. I had installed a copy of her video editing software on my laptop before we left home and this morning while I slept she had downloaded and catalogued all the video we shot to the external hard drive so we could both access it. She moved with her laptop over to the banquette and we sat side by side working on our associated projects. I checked my email and found the usual assortment of emails and one surprise. It was an email from Peter Cronk to me on my Methodist account. He had grown into a highly intelligent young man who had been placed on an accelerated path through his college courses and was now ready for medical school. He was having a bit of a problem and wanted my advice.

_Dear Dr. Ellingham:_

_First of all I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you and Katie and wish both of you all the best that life has to offer and many years of happiness. I was in the village last week and James showed me all the videos he took on his holiday and of your wedding. Through them I got to know Katie and I have to agree with James's opinion of her-"She is really smart and so cool! She knows how to do __everything__-she can fly a plane and a helicopter, she can sail a boat, she knows all about Dinosaurs and the stars in the sky, she's a Jedi master and she makes the best Tortellini and Pancakes in the world! She is __so__ much fun and she makes daddy __so__ happy!" I hate to break this to you but your son is absolutely __enchanted__ by her, but I guess you already know that. Through those videos and talking with Louisa (she told me to call her that-it feels weird!) it seems that moving to Texas was a very good thing for you and that makes me happy. I know how miserable you were and I felt badly for you but didn't know what I could do to help. I am glad that you have finally found happiness and peace of mind. You deserve it! I also found out through them that you two are going to parents and are having twins sometime in late January/early February! That was quick work! __**;-)**__ In judging how James is turning out, despite all that happened between you and Louisa, and seeing how you two interacted with James on his videos your children are going to have the best parents any child could hope for. I know that you always doubted that you would be a good father but I can tell you as a somewhat impartial observer that you are an __excellent__ father. I will let you in on a little secret. All the villagers in Port Wenn think you are, too. I know that you might find that statement a bit shocking but it is the truth. Of course, as you know, they will never admit that they think so to your face. _

_I wanted to talk to you when you were here but you were here and gone so quickly that I didn't have a chance to. I want to ask your advice. As you know I have been 'fast tracked' through my basic college courses, passed all the tests and am ready to enter medical school. My problem (if you can call it that) is that I am finding that I am highly interested in cellular and biomechanical/biomolecular engineering. I find it fascinating and I think it is the future of medicine. The problem is that in the UK I really cannot do both a medical degree and a biomechanical engineering degree at the same time. I did some research into the subject and found that Rice University and the Baylor College of Medicine offers a program called 'M.D. /Ph.D. Medical Scientist Training Program'. It is exactly the kind of thing I am looking for. In doing research into the schools and the program I have found that both schools are highly regarded and so is the program I wish to enter. The one problem is that they require all international students to have completed their undergraduate training at an accredited U.S. college or university in order to be eligible to apply to the medical school and the M.D./Ph.D. Program. I wanted to ask you if you could find out if there is some way I can apply and qualify without having to take all my courses again at a US university. __**Please**__ do not think I am asking you to 'pull any strings' or anything of that nature! I just want to find out what I can do to apply without having to repeat all the work I have done and to ask your advice on this choice of area of study. I have attached my transcripts for your perusal._

_Thank you in advance for any advice you may give and all my best wishes to you and your lovely wife,_

_Peter Cronk_

I thought about it, examined his transcripts and did a little research of my own into the program he was asking about. Then I did some more thinking about it and replied.

_Dear Peter:_

_Katie and I thank you for your kind wishes on our marriage and I thank you for what you said about me and James. It does mean quite a lot to me! Yes, I know that James is head over heels in love with Katie which is not surprising-I know I certainly am. I am a very __lucky__ man to have her. I was worried about that when we brought him back home because I was concerned about how it might make Louisa feel. She now has a houseful of children and is going to have another soon-she works long and hard to be a good mum to them all so may not seem as 'fun' as Katie is to him. I discovered that Katie is a very wise woman in this regard for she told James on the flight back "Your mum is the __best__mum__ in the world and you are a very __lucky__ boy to have a mum like her! She works very hard to be so and you must let her know how much you love her all the time and do what you can to help her-that will make her feel really good and make her happy. It may seem to you that I am 'so much fun' because I have the time to be 'fun' at the moment; once the babies are born it will be different because raising children is __very__ hard work! I hope that I can be as good a mum to them as your mum is to you but that will be a hard task for me because your mum is the __best __in the world." It seems that James took her words to heart and Louisa told me that he is now giving her 'extra cuddles' and telling her how much he loves her and wonderful she is. He is also becoming a big help to her-he has taken on extra chores and is (miraculously) keeping his room very tidy._

_Now as to the program you asked about. I will be starting a research project in September that involves the areas of study that you are looking into and have been 'fast tracked' though most of the courses you are looking to take. I have just completed my M.B.E.. I know the people in charge of that program and will talk to them to see if they can add you to the program. Your transcripts indicate that you are quite qualified despite the fact that they are not from an accredited U.S. college or university-your taking extra courses instead of the bare minimum required helps in that department. I will also look into any scholarships or other funding that might be available. If they accept you I may have a junior research assistant position for you on my project that may prove helpful to you-it will give you some practical experience in the field and will provide you with a salary. You will have to work hard and some of that work will be rather tedious at times but I know that you would be up to the task. You have a keen mind and an innate ability to 'think outside of the box' which will be needed with what I am about to undertake. _

_The one question I have is how will your mum cope with you leaving not only your home but the country and how will __you__ handle it? This is a major decision and not one to be taken lightly. The United States and Texas in particular are vastly different than anything you have known in your life and you __must__ be absolutely sure that this is the direction you wish to take. Once the Rubicon is crossed there will be no easy way back._

_Katie and I are currently on our honeymoon and won't be home for a couple of weeks. Think about the question I posed and the ramifications of it then send me a reply. If you still wish to try to get into the program at Rice and Baylor I will see what I can do._

_Take care and looking forward to hearing from you soon,_

_Dr. Martin C. Ellingham MD, MCh, M.B.E., FRCS, FACS, FACC, FRCGP _

While I was looking into things for Peter and writing a reply to his email Katie had started making her 'soopersekret' Italian meat sauce and some Pan Biga. Seeing as the day was going to be a total wash out we decided that after we had finished with the emails for James and the school project we would just sit back, relax, do some laundry, have a nice dinner and watch a movie or two. We hadn't done something like this in well over a month and we _both_ needed it, especially her. Over the last couple of days things had really started to kick in-an hour ago she proclaimed that she would give her 'left tit' for a 5lb. bag of Haribo Gummi Peaches. What _is_ it about gummy candies/jelly babies and pregnant women? The mind simply _boggles_...Fortunately for me there isn't a Gummi Peach within 2,000 miles otherwise I suspect I would probably be out in the pouring rain getting some for her right now. She had just finished getting the sauce to the simmer for hours stage, the bread dough rising and started a load of laundry when I finished my email to Peter. I asked her to read it and to give me her thoughts on it. After she read the first paragraph she gave me a passionate kiss and said "No, I am the _lucky one_ to have you!" then read the rest of the email. The only thing she added is that if all that came to pass we could have him stay at the house with us until he got things sorted out. We could rearrange things on the third floor so he could have that to himself and it would give him time to adjust and find a place of his own-as long as he didn't mind the occasional crying baby that is. She also added that if it did happen she would give him her Civic "I know I'm going to have to get a different vehicle, it'd be a bitch trying to get two car seats and all the other baby things plus _you_ in it."

This led to a discussion on what kind of vehicle we should get for her to drive and set some requirements for whatever it might be. It had to have the room for all the baby things (and their other things as they grew) and still be comfortable for the adults. It had to have excellent safety features, of course. A requirement for her is that it had to "not be boring", have a powerful engine and be 'sporty' and fun to drive "No damned Suburban's or Range Rovers that feel like you're driving an aircraft carrier!" The final qualification was that I had to be able to fit in it comfortably both as a passenger and as a driver because there would be times when I would have to drive it. I told her I had been doing some research into that and had come down to four that I thought would qualify. The first was a Volvo XC60 to which she imitated falling asleep and snoring which I took as being a _big_ 'No'. A BMW X5 to which she said "Hmmm...That's a possibility". A Lexus LX 570 to which she said "Aircraft carrier" which I took as a 'No'. And a Mercedes E350 Wagon to which she said "Bingo! We have a winner! I was already looking at that one myself. I like wagons; they are easier to park and to deal with in general. Of course all of this depends on how _you_ fit in it. If _you_ aren't comfy then it's _out_." 'Well' I thought to myself 'that was easy!' I remembered the rows I had with Louisa about getting her a vehicle-she was far more concerned about the opinion of the villagers about what she was driving then about any other factor, including safety.

That sorted I wrote my email to James and edited a personal video of our dives and our trip to town for him while Katie finished up the video for the school project. She told me that she was including pictures of a large card she had that had pictures of all the fish found in the lagoon on it with their common and Latin names for the teachers use only. She thought it might be good for the children to try to look them up themselves or, better yet, as a 'team activity'-it would teach them basic internet and library research techniques, how to work together to achieve a common goal and they might learn some things about related subjects while doing so-possibly add some extra credit or a 'prize' for providing the additional information. She asked if I thought Louisa and the other teachers might think she was being overly 'pushy' by suggesting that, I told her that I thought they would think it was a good idea. We assembled the emails and uploaded the videos to the SkyDrive account we set up for their use and added the URL's to access them. I noticed that she had attached a picture me hanging onto the palm for dear life and laughing for Louisa with the title '_The Eminent Cardiovascular Surgeon Climbs a Palm Tree'._ I shot her an eyebrow and a dirty look and she laughed "Look...I_ like_ Louisa and I know she will find it funny! She is having a bit of a rough go of it right now in case you hadn't noticed-she is _all_ stressed out. She is pregnant, she has a school to run, she has to organize moving seven people and even though Stephan is being a prince and doing everything he can to help with the move, is trying to make her as comfortable as possible and is letting her know she is loved and the children are all pitching in to help she is _frazzled_. I am going to guess that is just her nature and she can't help it. A good laugh always goes a long way to relieve stress and she _needs_ one right about now." I had to admit that she did have a point-Louisa did look very tired and stressed when we brought James back. I also thought that a payback would be in order at a later date and I smiled. Katie asked what I was smiling about and I just smiled back at her. It was her turn to shoot me a dirty look and she said "Evil, nasty man! I know what you're thinking!"

All of our chores for the day were done-the evening was falling and the rain was letting up, to the west we could see a bit of deep red on the horizon. Sailor's delight. The wind had shifted enough to allow us to open the sliding glass door to let in the breeze without the rain coming in, too. It was cool and delightful. She made dinner while I rummaged around her selection of movies and read out the ones I thought might be good. Thank god she is not a 'chick flick' kind of woman. I came across "Thunderball" and she laughed and said "Ooh! How about a James Bond marathon? Stuff blowing up, pure 1960's period pieces, Vulcan bombers, Shrley Bassey singing "Goldfinger", Q and all his 'toys', witty repartee, sexual innuendo, a variety of big tits in balcony bras for you and Sean Connery in his prime for me-what's _not_ to like?" I looked at her and said with mock pretentiousness "I am _insulted_ by your insinuation that I like big breasts!" She started howling with laughter "I've see the look on your face! You're very _happy_ the titty fairy is starting to show up! It's like Christmas in June for you!" Then she flashed me and laughed "Oh my god! The expression on your face! You look like a kid who just found out Santa Claus is_ real_!" I started laughing and said "If you know what's good for you, young lady, you'll put _those_ away...at least until later!" We had an excellent dinner and afterward I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen while she lowered the table and put the cushion on to turn the banquette area into a big bed. We watched "Dr. No", "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" complete with running commentary out of both of us. By the time the credits on the last movie rolled the rain had stopped and the stars were starting to poke out through the clouds so we opened up the portholes and deck hatches to let the breeze in, restored the banquette area to its normal set up and went off to bed. She got them out again which had the desired effect to our mutual satisfaction.


	60. Chapter 60-The Otter and the Beaver

**_Chapter 60: The Otter and The Beaver_**

We had a bit of a surprise today...

It was one of the days that the Kitesurfers were down at the other end of the island. Katie had talked to Jim, one of the operators of the tour, to arrange for me to be taught how to Kitesurf. She knew I was rather apprehensive about it and wanted to make sure I as comfortable as possible and learned safely and properly. Most importantly to her was that I _enjoyed_ myself in the learning process and she knew that Jim would make it an enjoyable experience for me. I was at a detriment in learning this activity for I would be learning two things-how to fly a kite and how to Kitesurf. I had told her that I had never flown a kite before, my parents never allowed me to do that as a child and it wasn't an activity that we did at boarding school. When I told her this she hugged me and had tears in her eyes "My poor baby! Sometimes I forget that you were never _allowed_ to be a child when you were a child...you missed out on _so_ much..."

They would be showing up sometime around 9am so after breakfast we packed ourselves a lunch and put it and all the gear in the tender, we used the tender because I insisted on bringing my GP bag just in case. She didn't think it was necessary but didn't argue about it, as it turned out it was necessary. She slathered me up in SPF "one zillion" sunscreen (a process I found _quite_ enjoyable) and we headed off for the north end of the island. We could see that they had just arrived and were setting up their 'camp' and I pulled the tender up next to their boat. Jim had come over to help us unload our gear and said "Good morning to you two! Well, Martin, you ready to learn how to fly?" I said with a bit of apprehension "Yes, I guess so..." They both laughed and she kissed me and said "Oh sweetie! By the end of the day you will be enjoying yourself so much I will have a hard time getting you out of the water. It'll be like trying to get James out of the pool!" As she was saying this a familiar voice said "Don't fear the reaper, Martin!" We turned around and she exclaimed "John! What the hell are you doing here?" and ran up and gave him a big hug and kiss. "Oh, I got bored sitting around on the boss's yacht so I took a couple days off to come visit you two and to see your 'tropical paradise'. This beats the hell out of Tahiti! That's too built up-this is the way it should be. Thank god this place is small and rather inconvenient or it would be overrun." I went up to him and we shook hands "It's a pleasure seeing you again, John! Are you Kitesurfing, too?" he chuckled and said "_Hell yeah_! This place is perfect for it! She's right, you know, once you learn you won't want to stop!" I asked "Where are you staying at? If you need a place you can come and stay with us on the boat." She added "We'd love to have you and don't worry about the 'breaking in on the honeymooners' kind of thing!" He laughed "I appreciate the kind offer but I already have a suite at the Etu Moana." She said "Well, you think about it...we have everything the Moana has with less hassle, our own 'private' island and a better view." He laughed and said "I'll think about it! Well, baby sister, let's leave your lamb to the slaughter and go and enjoy ourselves!" She laughed and gave me a hug and a kiss "We'll be out on the water, you have a good time! Just remember to relax and have fun!" They both grabbed their gear and went off leaving me with Jim.

He looked at me and said "Right! I know you are a bit apprehensive about this but they are right, once you learn you will enjoy yourself. Katie gave me a bit of background on you so I have tailored a specialized learning plan for you..." He walked me thought each piece of equipment and explained it, then taught me how to fly the kite and how to maneuver it then we got down to basics of learning how to Kitesurf safely. At first it was a bit difficult and I fell a couple of times trying to turn around and he gave me encouragement "Martin, you _will_ be quite good at this, I can already tell! You have excellent balance and are quite agile. You just have to _relax_ and not worry so much. Remember that you are not going to be perfect at this _right now_-you are learning. You will make some mistakes but you will get better as time goes on. I know you are worried about it, I've noticed you watching Katie out there doing tricks and zipping along. You are worried she is going to hurt herself. Don't worry, she won't-she is too good at it and more importantly she is not reckless. It may seem she is being so because what she is doing seems reckless to you right now as a beginner. Besides, who couldn't help but notice her! She _rocks_ at this and that suit of hers draws a _lot_ of attention...especially from the men. _Please_ don't take that the wrong way; it is just a statement of _fact!_" I didn't take it the wrong way, I understood it perfectly. She wasn't in her usual silver-grey skinsuit, she was in this brightly patterned lycra rash guard suit that fit her like a second skin and made her look like a large, and very sexy, green moon wrasse. I had never seen that one before and when I first saw her in it all I wanted to do was take it off her.

By the lunch break I had mastered the basics well enough that I hadn't fallen once and was turning with ease and was even managing some small leaps into the air. As it got easier I did find that I was enjoying myself, the feeling of freedom to fly along with the wind was rather intoxicating. Katie and John came back and we sat with the others and had lunch. Katie gave me a hug and a kiss-her eyes bright with enjoyment and fun. "Well, how did it go? I looked over a couple times to see how you were doing and it looked like you were doing _great!_ I hope you're having fun, sweetheart..." I replied "Actually, once I quit thinking so hard about what I _had_ to do it and just _did_ it it became quite easy and very enjoyable." John said "With sports like this, such as skiing, snowboarding and the like, once you get past the 'overthinking the plumbing' stage they become easy and as you do them it becomes easier. Soon you will be out there doing leaps and spins with the rest of us and not think twice about it!" Jim sat down next to us and told her "I think he's ready to go out with you two-he's a _quick_ learner! He does need a bit of work on turning around without stalling the kite but I think he will learn that better out in the lagoon where he can take wider turns and not in the shallow water here. You will have to teach him about looking ahead and avoiding the coral heads, though. Those hurt like hell and can cut you up pretty bad if you wipe out on one of those."

After lunch I went out with Katie and John into the lagoon. Jim was right, it was easier for me to turn around out there and soon I was keeping up with them. Katie worked with me a bit on how to avoid the coral heads and taught me how to really lift off the water and fly not only for the sheer pleasure of it but also as a good way to clear the small coral heads by jumping over them instead of having to turn to avoid them. We had stopped for a bit and were just floating in the water so she could explain how to do a spin in the air to me and she stopped talking and looked towards the island-there was a large crowd gathered around something and both Jim and John were waving at us from the scene-beckoning us to come there. She said "Looks like someone has been injured...I bet it was one of those idiot teenagers with that couple from Australia- they were behaving like a couple of complete jackasses earlier. Totally reckless...I tried to tell them to quit being stupid..." I said "I saw enough surfing injuries while working as a GP and know that some can be bad." She gave me a quick kiss "And I thought you bringing your GP bag was a bit of overkill, it may turn out that I was wrong. I hope I wasn't, though, because if you do need it that person is _really_ hurt. We got back up on our boards and went back to shore.

It _was_ bad...When we reached shore we took off the kite harnesses and secured the kites then I ran over to where the injured person was and Katie ran over to get my bag out of the tender. I asked what had happened as I did an initial examination of the injured person. He _was_ one of the teenagers-he was cut up pretty badly, pale, weak pulse, rapid breathing, and semiconscious-what I didn't like was the large amount of bruising on his sternum. I was told by his father that the 'damned fool tried to jump a coral head that was _way_ too big for him to clear and when he landed on it, his board dug in and he fell on it _hard_ and was dragged across it by the kite.' By then Katie was there with my bag and was ready to assist. I dug out my stethoscope and listened to heart and breathing sounds, not good. Heart sounds fast and muffled. I wrapped the cuff of the sphygmomanometer on his arm and noted that the jugular looked a bit distended while I took his blood pressure-the pressure was low and he was exhibiting pulsus paradoxus. I thought to myself 'Oh, god...Beck's triad!' As I worked I was informed that they had called the doctor and a boat was on the way with him. I did some further observations-I suspected he had a couple cracked ribs, possible cracked sternum, pulmonary contusions, possible damage to liver, spleen, pancreas...I asked his father if he knew his son's blood type or if he had any allergies-they didn't. I looked at Katie and said "I can't tap you, sweetie, it wouldn't be good for the babies or for you." then asked if anyone else had O negative blood-the only one who did turned out to be her brother John. The boy's father asked in a voice that I could tell he was trying to control his panic in "What's wrong with him?" I looked up and said "I suspect that he may be developing a condition called cardiac tamponade-if so speed is of the essence to treat it." His father tried to calm his wife and other child as the boat with Dr. Tyler arrived; he ran up with his bag and a bottle of oxygen-the boatman carried a defibrillator. He started administering oxygen to the patient while I gave him my assessment of the patient's condition to which he replied "Oh god...I have only seen one case of tamponade and that was in a fully stocked E.D...I called for an emergency evac to Rarotonga, we don't have surgical facilities here..." I said "I would rather perform an emergency Pericardiocentesis on dry land then in a rocking boat." He replied "I agree." I said "Let's get him up and prepped." While Dr. Tyler did that I said to Katie "Pour some water on my hands to wash off the sand followed by some Betasept then pull out a towel _carefully_ from the box by _one_ corner only so I can dry my hands. When I'm done _carefully_ peel back the pouch of gloves so I can grab them easily and glove up." Then I said "Katie, look in the bottom drawer of my case and find a needle in a package that says '18 G-I.V. Cannula, it should have a little green 'spigot' looking thing on it- when I tell you to peel back the packaging and hold the package where I can take the needle out easily." I looked up at the crowd and said "You might not want to watch this; it can also be a bit messy so you may want to step back." Then I said to Dr. Tyler "Ready to learn how to do one of these in the field?" He nodded. "I have no imagery for guidance so will use a subxiphoid approach...2ml Lidocane..."

When finished the patient's vitals had improved and we moved him to the boat and I went with Dr. Tyler and the boy's family to the island. They had sent a full team for the evac so I felt confident enough to place the patient in their hands and was taken back out to our boat. By the time I got back I found that Katie and John had stored all our gear and she had taken him back to the resort to get his bags and check out. They were sitting under the Bimini drinking lemonade and talking when the boat pulled up. John grabbed my GP case and set it down while I stepped on board while Katie poured me some lemonade. John said "Nicely done! How is the kid doing?" I sat down next to her and put my arm around her bare shoulders, she gave me a kiss "You were spectacular! Another one for Chandra's fable..." I told them all that happened since I left.

While I was doing so Katie fell asleep. John smiled and said "She's pretty tired; she nodded off on me while we were waiting for you to come back." I replied "She needs to rest more but _you_ try telling her that! She is _trying_, though. It's hard for her because she is so used to being so active. In another couple weeks she will start being tired all the time and that will slow her down. She won't be able to avoid it." John laughed "You just discovering how hard headed she can be? Frankly I'm surprised that you, of all people, are letting her do things like dive and Kitesurf." I sighed "She has been very careful with the diving and only wore the tanks for my first two dives-she spent about half of the time on the surface and half below and went no lower than 10 feet. Afterwards she is going to stick to surface snorkeling with the tanks on while I do my next two dives. If I do those properly I will be certified and she will leave the tanks behind. I didn't want her diving initially but she pointed out that the last real research done on pregnancy and diving was done 30 years ago and the equipment has changed greatly since then-the most recent tests were done on sheep and she said 'I'm _not_ a sheep...baaaaa!' She also pointed out that 10 feet is down to the sand in most of the places we have been to and if I had a problem with that then I should have a problem with her swimming and diving to the bottom our nine foot deep pool. It was a fair point...so I left it up to Matsuko to help me out and tell her not to; Matsuko admitted she had a point, too. As to the Kitesurfing she is _very careful_ and it isn't too strenuous. I found it quite enjoyable being out there today." John shook his head and smiled "I am sure that one of the first things you discovered about her is that you will be hard pressed to win an argument with her. She can marshal facts and figures like no one else and use them to bludgeon you over the head repeatedly until you admit defeat." I laughed "_Indeed!_ But that is part of her charm...please do not take this the wrong way but she is one of the few people that I have ever met that is smarter than me in _so many_ ways. I find it rather refreshing." He replied "No offense taken because it is the truth. The problem with her is that she has a photographic memory and soaks up things like a sponge." I looked at her sleeping so soundly and said "I'm going to lay her down on the bench so she will be comfortable. Why don't we adjourn to the lounge chairs on the beach and let her sleep for a bit." John replied "Good idea! I'll go grab a pillow and the scotch. You're a good man to have a scotch with." I smiled "Sounds good."

We sat and sipped our scotch, watching a thundershower in the distance in the beginning glow of the sunset. John told me a couple stores about my sleeping beauty that "She will kill me _slowly _if she knows I told you about them!" They _were_ pretty funny! After an hour or so she came out to sit with us "Sorry I fell asleep on you guys! I needed a nap. I do have dinner ready to go, all I have to do is fire up the grill." John moved over to the next chair so she could sit between us and said "There is a reason why I came here. I got a letter from the airport in Anchorage. They are going to revamp the airport and put in a new runway so we are going to lose our hangar. So we have to figure out what to do with the Beaver and the Otter. I was thinking we could split 'em up-you take one and I take one. I can park mine outside my house on Lake Washington and I'm sure you could find a place to house yours in Houston. Or we could sell one or both, but that would be a shame." Katie sipped her lemonade and thought for a moment "It _would_ be a shame to sell them! The problem is deciding. I love both of them! The Beaver is the equivalent of my 'first car' and I spent so many hours flying the Otter for dad. It's like an old friend." John nodded agreement "So, baby sister, which one do you want? If we both choose the same one we can flip a coin." "That's a toughie, big brother! Out of the two I love flying the Beaver just a smidgen more than the Otter but from a personal situation the Otter would be better. It's the equivalent of the 'Family Truckster, but in a good way!'" I asked "Family Truckster?" and John looked at me and was about to say something and Katie cut him off "Cut him some slack, John! National Lampoon movies were _simply not seen_ in circles he grew up in. FYI-he hasn't seen 'Blazing Saddles' or 'Holy Grail', either." and she pointed a pinkie as she sipped her lemonade. John laughed and shook his head "God, you _have_ lived a sheltered life! Anyway, which one do you want?" Katie replied "Well, as much as I like the Beaver the Otter would probably be better suited for us. You can put a family and a lot of junk in it quite comfortably and it has a long range. STOL so can fly up to somewhere like Minnesota or Ontario and set it down on some inaccessible lake and fish and camp out for a couple weeks or go up to Montana, Wyoming, Utah or Alberta to go skiing or go see you up in Seattle. Hell, could even fly that down to Merida in the Yucatan-not that I would _want_ to but you could. Could put the auxiliary tank in and go to the Caymans, but that would be cutting it too close to Cuba. We even could take a lazy trip up to the Yukon or the NWT...OK, I'll take the Otter!" John said "That's a relief! I thought I was going to have to fight you for the Beaver! They are going to need refurbishing and new paint, I'll pay for that." Katie replied "I want to keep the 'O'Hara Air Services' livery on the Otter, though. It wouldn't feel right flying it with anything else on it. Well, now that's taken care of I'd better start dinner. You guys sit back and relax."

We talked as she fired up the grill and started on dinner. After dinner we played a couple of games of Scrabble which I won handily. At one point she exclaimed "Why is it when we play you can't spell worth a damn?" I smiled at her and said "I generally have more clothes on to get rid of." John started laughing "You two play strip scrabble? That's hilarious!" She looked at him seriously and said "Yes, we do. Strip chess takes too long. Besides, it's against the law to finachetto a bishop in Texas." John and I both spewed our drinks and started laughing; she calmly grabbed a towel and wiped down the table. "Oh...my bad, evil, _naughty_ sister!"

Later that night while John slept we went out on the beach to watch the moon rise over the lagoon. There I did find out just how evil and naughty she could be.


	61. Chapter 61-I, the Albatross

**_Chapter 61: I, the Albatross..._**

We decided to take the boat out for the morning so John could get a feel for sailing her. After we stopped at the dock to dump the grey/black water and refuel we headed out through the channel and out to sea. John remarked "My god, it sure is tight in here! One mistake and you're on the sand or a coral head." Katie replied "It is... The best time to make the passage in is at high tide and with the sun behind you for the best visibility. If you come here with her the first couple of times have the tender out trailing close behind. The engine has enough power to pull her off if you get stuck. It isn't fun, but you can do it." Once out to sea we spent a couple of hours sailing around the island and John fell in love with 'Isilme' "This boat is a dream to sail! I want to get one." Katie replied "I'm not sure how much they are now and this is not a standard model, I had a lot of extras added. If you really want one I can give you all the info and you can contact the manufacturer. They're built in Thailand but they do have a delivery service for an extra fee-or you can just go get it and sail it home. I just picked Isilme up in Thailand and took the scenic route to Akaroa. The best way to get the feel for a boat is by sailing her." John laughed "Yeah, you took the 'scenic route' alright...around the freaking southern ocean, past the three stormy capes, 'pirated' along with the Vendee Globe for a bit and to every sub Antarctic island you could get to!" She laughed "Why not? I had the time, the boat and I went to places that few have ever seen or even know exist. One of my favorites was the monument at Cape Horn. There is a beautiful sculpture of an Albatross with a poem that reads in English

_'__I, the Albatross that awaits you at the end of the world..._

_I, the forgotten soul of the sailors lost that crossed Cape Horn from all the seas of the world._

_But die they did not in the fierce waves, for today towards eternity in my wings they soar in the last crevice of the Antarctic winds.'_

You stand there and read that then look out over the always rough Drake Passage and think of the thousands who went down with their ships trying to round the Horn...It is a spooky place...not as spooky as Bouvetøya, though. That place is downright _scary_-I saw it and got the hell away from it as fast as possible!"

Once back at the island we moored her at the dock in the harbor, rented scooters for the day and toured the island. All of us were leaving the next day-John would fly back to Tahiti and we would start our journey back to Akaroa. We were going to leave two days early to take advantage of favorable weather and winds. It was a pleasant, lazy day driving down quiet roads bordered by beautiful flowers and plants scenting the air, past small farms and homes with chickens and goats wandering about in some of the yards. We stopped for a late lunch at the Koru Café, did a little shopping and headed back to the boat. Later on we were going to join Dr. Tyler for dinner at Tupana's so we sat under the Bimini and relaxed until we had to get ready to go. Katie downloaded all the pictures and videos onto the external drive then double checked the weather forecasts for our journey and we all checked our email.

Yesterday Louisa had emailed Katie and said that her idea of having the children team up and look up the fish was a big hit with the children, the teachers and even some of the parents. Louisa had managed to get some of the shops to donate some 'prizes' for the teams that had done the best jobs. Katie did read aloud one, somewhat embarrassing, passage in it _"The videos you sent of the dives you two took were the main topic of some rather interesting conversation in the teachers' lounge. We preview them so we know the contents and can prepare for questions from the children. Let's just say I had once told Martin a __very__ long time ago that I wanted to see him out of a suit and in a wet suit. Let's just put it this way-that suit fit him __quite__ well and left very little to the imagination! The general consensus of the other teachers was best summed up by what one of them said 'If I had known that was what was under all those Saville Row suits I would have given him a go even though I thought he was a grumpy tosser at the time!' Rob, our only male teacher, had one word to say when he saw you-'Blimey!' I did notice that some of the older boys had the same expression on their face as Rob did when he saw the videos, they will probably be following you around like a herd of moonstruck lambs the next time you come this way!" _Katie had emailed Louisa back and said that she could compile the same kind of thing with the birds and flowers and they could do a contest with those and we could pick up something from here as a grand prize for the team that did the best job overall. Louisa had emailed her back saying that was a great idea and thought that the hand carved Paua shell Koru pendants she had selected would be wonderful. Katie picked them up today and interviewed the man who carved them. He explained the symbolism of the Koru and of other pendants he had carved. She bought a jade Manaia pendant for herself and was wearing it.

Today Louisa sent me a personal email thanking me for my contributions and efforts for her school project and part of it read _"This may sound strange coming from me but I am truly glad you found Katie-not only do I really like her but I know that if there are two people in the world who are truly 'meant to be' it is you two. You are no longer the man any of us knew when you lived here-you are now becoming the man _you should have been your entire life_. I always wanted you to be happy, content and at peace with yourself and now you finally are. I knew that the man you are now existed somewhere inside the fortress you had built around yourself, I just wasn't capable of breaking through the walls and fighting the demons to reach him. There is an old saying that goes 'Only Nixon could go to China.' Well, it seems that 'Only Katie could free Martin Ellingham.' I knew she had finally torn down the fortress and set you free when she sent me that picture of you climbing the Palm tree. She was right, I did need a laugh and it did make me laugh. Partially because it was a funny picture but in part because it made me happy! It was the first photo of the new 'you'-so happy, laughing, not a care in the world, taking a __risk__, tanned, toned up, barefoot, bare-chested and in shorts(!). The 'old you' would have gone ballistic if anyone __dared__ to even suggest you would do anything like that! You look different, too. Your face has changed to reflect the changes inside and they make you look ten years younger."_

I also received another email. I had been trying to think of something to get Katie for her birthday in a couple of weeks. The email was a reply to an inquiry I had made about something that I knew would please her. I read the information contained in the email and decided that I needed to do some further inquiries and research before making a decision. I shut down my laptop and we went to get ready for dinner. Dr. Tyler would be picking us up in his jeep to take us to the restaurant soon so I changed into a pair of khakis and the shirt Katie had bought me. It was cool, comfortable and fit well. She put on a very pretty floor length forest green sundress in a subtle batik leaf print that went well with her new pendant and made her eyes shimmer in intense green. She gave me a kiss and caressed my chest "That shirt looks nice on you...feels good, too!" My hands caressed the soft skin of her bare back "You look beautiful!" I started kissing her neck, she whispered "Don't start something we can't finish..." Outside we could hear John talking to Dr. Tyler "...They should be up soon, they're changing clothes..." I opened the door to the saloon and ushered my lady in green through and we went up on deck to join them. "Good evening, Dr. Tyler!" "Good evening, Dr. Ellingham! Please call me Ron, sir." I smiled and said "Please call me Martin, Ron." Ron greeted Katie with a slight bow and handshake "Good evening, Mrs. Ellingham! You look quite beautiful tonight!" She giggled and said "Good evening, Ron, and thank you for the kind compliment! Please just call me Katie! You look quite dapper yourself, hun!" He smiled and said "Well, shall we go?" We all nodded in agreement and headed off to his jeep.

It was an evening of good food, pleasant company and interesting conversation. We learned from Ron that the boy was recovering nicely and his parents had already taken him back to Australia. He said that the parents had enquired as to who I was and were rather shocked when he told them and added "You were fortunate that he was with your group out there. There aren't many who could have pulled that off in that situation without doing further damage or killing him. No disrespect intended but I was fortunate, too. I learned a valuable technique to use in the field where all you have is what is in your bag from a master." He also asked me if I could compile a list of what I carry in my GP bag and where he could obtain one like it "Your bag is much better than the ones I have seen, it has a large capacity and those drawers are quite convenient." I told him it was a GP Practica 3 Case and I would be happy to give him a list of suppliers that sell the bag along with a list of what I generally carry in it and items I have on hand to add to it as the need arises. We all talked about some of the more unusual places we had been to and interesting things we had seen, on that subject Katie had us all beat with a place called 'Ridge A'. The restaurant was closing for the night so we all hopped back into Ron's jeep for the ride back to the boat and we all bade each other a good night and Ron wished us all a safe journey home. I gave him my business card and told him if he had questions or needed some advice to send me an email and I would reply as soon as I possibly could. After he left we all went to bed, tomorrow was going to be a long day for all of us.

The next morning Katie made some Pancakes for us, apologizing for having to use canned blueberries instead of fresh. It didn't matter, they were still delicious. After breakfast John said his goodbyes and headed off to the airport. We ran through the checklist to make sure the boat was ready to go to sea-portholes and deck hatches closed, everything stored properly, all systems tested to ensure they were functioning, etc. Everything was ready. Katie gave me a hug and a kiss and said "I always become very sad when I am about to leave here. It's a place of calm in a turbulent world...a place where you can forget about everything and just _be_." I understood how she felt for I was feeling much the same way-here I truly learned how to forget everything and just _be_. I took her into my arms and comforted her "We will come back here next year, if you want. I know I want to! It may be a bit different for us because we will have the twins but it will be _better_-we can start our own family holiday memories here, ones that our children will cherish for the rest of their lives." She looked up at me and smiled "You mean it? I would've thought that you might not want to attempt coming here with them. It is a long way to sail with children." I replied "We can always charter a crew and have the boat moved here and we fly here to pick it up if need be. Or we can just do some coastal sailing around New Zealand, too. We can discuss all of that later." We shared a deep and loving kiss and when we parted she sighed and pulled something out of her pocket. It was our watches. She handed me mine and said "Well, my love, it's time and tide. Let's go home!" I hugged her and said "I guess it is time to go. Don't worry, we will come back." With that we cast off, headed out through the channel to the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean. When we were in deep water we ran up the sails and headed southwest towards New Zealand and eventually to close the circuit of our round the world trip by arriving back home in Houston. On a sailboat whose name means 'Moonlight' we headed off with the setting moon accompanied by a smaller sliver that was the planet Venus visible in the sky before us. I thought of a passage from 'The Travelling Song' as the 'Isilme' started to fly before the wind.

_"__Still round the corner there may wait A new road or a secret gate, _

_And though we pass them by today, Tomorrow we may come this way _

_And take the hidden paths that run Towards the Moon or to the Sun. _

_Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe, Let them go! Let them go! _

_Sand and stone and pool and dell, Fare you well! Fare you well!"_


	62. Chapter 62-Vieni, mio grande pavone!

**_Chapter 62: Vieni, mio grande pavone!_**

Things didn't go quite as planned on the way back.

The science of weather prediction has come a very long way over the centuries but it isn't an exact science. What should have been a nice passage like the one to Aitutaki was now shaping up to be (in my mind) a dangerous one through a strong low pressure system in 6-8 meter seas and 30-40kt winds. When I did my coastal sailing this would've sent most to the nearest harbor. The nearest harbor for us was about 800 miles behind us at Rarotonga. I was very concerned, Katie wasn't. She told me "Don't worry, sweetie. We'll be alright. In fact I'm sorta glad this has happened; now you get to learn the differences in storm sailing between a monohull and the 'Islime'. I had this boat built to handle the Southern Ocean and the first year I had her that is where I sailed. The conditions predicted for this low would be considered a 'nice day' down there."

As the low approached she reefed the main sail and as the conditions started to change made slight adjustments so we were being pushed along just right by the wind and waves and were running at a steady, but slower, pace. Katie explained the tactics to me "The main goal in doing it this way is to avoid wide fluctuations in speed as we ride over the waves. That way we will be very comfortable and the boat will be fairly stable-you'll be able to put your coffee cup down on the table and it won't go sliding around. The only way you will really know we're in stormy weather is by looking at the big waves carrying us along out of the window. Of course it won't be very nice on deck with all the wind and spray. Dry suits, PFD's, EPIRB's and double safety lines are _mandatory_ if we have to go on deck. Fortunately we can sail her from the chart table most of the time. There is just one thing...if you hear a roar that sounds like a jet coming at us grab your safety gear, put on your dry suit as fast as you can and brace for impact-do _not_ waste time looking at the huge wall of water coming at us! Conditions like this can sometimes generate a 'rogue wave'-they are far rarer here then down in the Southern Ocean but can still occur." I asked her why the EPIRB instead of the PLB, she replied. "If, god forbid, we get hit by one more than likely we will be pitchpoled. The EPIRB will send a signal to the SARSAT but it is more robust then the PLB's. Once triggered it will send an SOS to the satellite and any shipping within range will be directed towards it, if we are close enough to land air rescue will be sent. If we get pitchpoled and are _lucky_ we will be dismasted and the boat will be upright, floating but wrecked, the worst we will be capsized, dismasted and wrecked. If capsized we will have to get in the life raft-the water will be too cold for us to stay in the boat."

When the storm finally hit I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of it being a gut wrenching ordeal fraught with worry and danger as I had been through in that one storm we got stuck in off the coast of Devon that one time it was a bit bumpy but otherwise fairly smooth considering what was going on outside the windows. After 24 hours it was over and we were back to normal operations. Slowing down during it cost us a half a day but seeing as we had left two days early we were still ahead of schedule when we finally pulled into the now familiar channel leading to Akaroa harbor. It was cool and breezy; it felt like a March day in London. After spending a couple weeks in the tropics I had forgotten it was winter down here and the tops of the mountains were covered in snow. I lowered the tender and pulled it alongside the boat while Katie pulled up to our mooring buoy and hooked the boat up to it. She tossed the bags of laundry into the tender and hopped in and I made for the dock. Harvey was there and took the line and tied the boat to the wharf. He greeted us with a laugh and a smile "Welcome back, honeymooners! Looks like you two had a good time up there-all tanned and rested. It's been pretty cold at night down here, tonight we are supposed to have sleet and maybe some snow." I got out of the boat and shook Harvey's hand "Nice to see you again and thank you for your assistance." Katie started passing up the bags of laundry and the bottles of soap and fabric softener, as she did she replied to Harvey "Thanks, hun! We had a wonderful time but it's good to be back. God, I _miss_ Akaroa! We ran into a bit of stormy weather on the way back but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. Say, is the Laundry still open until 9pm? We have a _metric buttload_ of stuff to wash." He replied "Yup, still open 'til 9. You want me to call a taxi for you two or are you going to carry it up there?" I looked at Katie then said "I think we'll be OK. It's just sheets and blankets, nothing that's too heavy. Besides, the walk will do us some good." Katie added "Sounds good-I could do with a nice walk and it really isn't that far...Oh! Have you got the phone number for The Little Bistro? I want to take my honey there tonight if they have a table available." Harvey smiled "I'll ring them for you...just a moment..." He called them and handed his phone to her. They did have a table available at 7pm and she asked me if that sounded good, I told her that would be fine and she made the reservation. She handed Harvey his phone and he said with a glint in his eye and a laugh "Going to wine and dine him then bring him back to the boat and have your way with him?" We both laughed and she said "Wine makes him fall asleep and gives me a headache! Not exactly the makings of a romantic night...anyway, we better get going so we can get all this done. See you in a bit, hun!"

We walked down to the laundry and she paid the attendant for a wash, dry and fold service so we could spend a very pleasant afternoon wandering about town. It felt good to walk and after a nice lunch at The Trading Rooms we just went wherever our feet took us. We were walking down Beach Road a bit south of the dock and she pointed out a house "I was going to buy that house a couple years ago. It's nice inside and has a good view of the harbor. Then I got that letter from Mary and I decided to go back to the states for what I thought would be only a year or two...If I hadn't received that letter I would be living there in that house in between journeys on the Isilme and summers working in Antarctica. I was, in truth, living a restless, hollow and lonely existence. I was searching for _something_ but did not know what it was-I literally had searched the ends of the earth trying to find it. She took me in her arms and kissed me "At the time I thought that letter was _all bad_-a very ill sister who I didn't really know well but felt it my duty to go to her and moving away from a place and the things I loved. It turns out that that one letter became the _best thing that ever happened to me_. I found you and in you I found a love far greater than all the things I _thought_ I had ever loved. _In you I found what I was searching for._ I love you, Martin! Mind, body, heart and soul..." I held her close and kissed her "A year ago if someone had told me that I would be where I am right now I would have called them a liar or _worse_. I was a bitter, angry, ill-tempered and very lonely man who lived a tortured existence inside a dungeon of the mind. My life was a painful shambles, I was surrounded by people who disliked me at best-hated me at worst, my career in ruins...I was coming to the end of my rope. I couldn't take much more and thoughts of ending it all were creeping into my mind-the only thing that kept them at bay was the thought of how it might affect my son. Then I heard a snippet of a song on a passing cars radio and that set my feet on the road that to _you_. Here I am today standing in a beautiful place on the opposite side of world from where I was, living a life that is totally opposite of the 'life' I had lived and have become a new being that is the total opposite of that bitter, angry man that I was. Holding the woman of my dreams, the woman I love, my soul mate and my wife in my arms. You have broken down the walls, slayed the demons and freed my soul. You breathe life into me. I love you, Katherine Rose!" We embraced in the weak sunshine of an austral winter's day, saying nothing in words but speaking volumes with our souls. After some time we walked back to the heart of town arm in arm, two people merged into one shadow.

On the way back Katie stopped "Wait right here!" and ran into a shop along the wharf. I watched the seagulls, dolphins and penguins in the harbor and the storm clouds dropping snow on the tops of the mountains while I waited for her. I thought to myself that I could see why she loves and misses this place, I will miss it too. She came out with a small bag. I asked her what she had bought and she took them out and showed me, it was eight pairs of deep blue freshwater pearl earrings and a pearl tie tack. "I thought it would be nice to get the teachers a little something. They work hard." They _were_ very nice, but I saw that there was another box in the bag and wondered what she had bought herself. I was about to ask when she pulled the box out of the bag. "I got you something, too. I hope you like it!" She handed me the box and I opened it-inside was a pair of paua pearl cufflinks, coin pearls shimmering in iridescent greens and blues rimmed in gold. "Wear them and remember the blues and greens of the lagoon in our little slice of paradise when you're having a rough day at work." I embraced her and said "They are exquisite! Thank you, sweetheart! They will look nice with my blue and black suits..." She laughed and kissed my cheek "If there is _one_ thing I have learned about you, Martin, is that you are a peacock at heart! You _do_ love your Saville Row 'feathers' and, I must add, you look damned _sexy_ in them!" I replied "In most species it is the male who is the brightly adorned one, I'm just trying to keep up with them. Why should peacocks have all the fun?" She laughed "Vieni, mio grande pavone! Let's go get the laundry!" I put my arm around her and said "You keep speaking Italian at me and I will _not_ be responsible for my actions!" She giggled "Più tardi, il mio amore!"

It was starting to get dark and a cold, slushy rain was beginning to fall by the time we got back to the boat. She was putting the sheets and blankets in their space bags and sealing them, we had already cleaned up, cleared out and stored most of what we had to in preparation for leaving for Houston. All that was left was have the grey/black water tanks pumped out and preparing them for storage, Harvey would pump out what was left of the diesel and use it for his boats. I turned on the heater so the boat would be nice and warm when we got back and we headed off to dinner. The restaurant was small and cramped but well worth it. It was one of the best meals I have ever had at a restaurant. I had the Blue Cod on a lemon and vanilla potato cake with braised fennel and horseradish hollandaise. Katie had the Canterbury fillet, rosemary, garlic and olive roasted Desiree potatoes, grilled portobello mushrooms, red wine jus with blue cheese marscapone. We did something we rarely do and split a dessert. She saw someone being served the bitter chocolate and salted caramel torte and said "I'm throwing the 'pregnant wife' card here...Will you split one of those with me?" She certainly 'had her way with me' as far as dessert was concerned. I caved in like a house of cards-the smile, the batting eyelashes and the foot gently sneaking its way up my leg had much to do with my doing so. I rationalized it by thinking that I would be burning it off later.

By the time we had finished dinner and were on our way back to the Isilme the sleet was turning into snow. I held her so she wouldn't slip and fall as we carefully made our way back to the boat. The wind had picked up and the boat was swaying gently at its moorings, inside it was cozy and warm. We performed our nightly hygiene routines and I went to turn the lights off and make sure everything was closed up while she got out a quilt and put it on the bed. I walked back into the cabin to find her standing there in her Kimono, she let it fall to the floor and said "Fare l'amore per me ti bellissimo, magnifico uomo."


	63. Chapter 63-Back to the Grind

_**Chapter 63: Back to the Grind**_

It was hard getting back into the swing of things after being away. Our flight back was uneventful; walking out of the terminal _was_ an event, though. Summer is in full swing here and it hit me like a ton of bricks-I felt like a Lobster being slowly steamed. I had been warned by many about this but I found that after a couple of days I got used to it. My first day back was a bit hectic. I had much to catch up on and it seemed that most of the hospital was trying to catch up on me.

I walked into my office and Justine greeted me "Welcome back, Dr. Ellingham! My, don't you look all tanned and rested...put on a bit of muscle, too. Those are beautiful cufflinks; did Katie get those for you?" "Thank you, Justine...yes, we had a wonderful time and, yes, Katie bought them for me at a little shop in Akaroa, they are paua pearl..." I looked around the office and added "It does feel good to be back, though." She laughed and said "You won't feel that way when you look at the mountain of stuff on your desk. You have a ton of mail in your basket, you also have a couple hundred emails on your hospital account, too. I haven't touched those because I figured you would want to sort those out personally. The final budget meeting is Thursday-I have everything organized in the blue folder for you. The initial paperwork for your research project is ready, too. That is in the red folder. The weekly department reports and department head meeting minutes are in the green folder-the transcript of the monthly M&M is in there, too. You will note that Claire was admonished by Foghorn for bringing snacks to it-the damned girl was sitting there eating popcorn! She will probably be in here soon hugging you like an lost child who just found its mother. She has discovered that being acting department head wasn't all wearing black scrubs, drinking your espresso and kicking people's butts. I did manage to keep her from screwing things up, though. I have updated your calendar for the week and have cleared your schedule from 2-4pm today so you can attend Katie's prenatal exam-I figured you would want to go so I just cleared it for you. How is she doing, by the way?" "As well as can be expected, the morning sickness has kicked in and she started getting a bit tired towards the end but all in all she is doing well. The thing that bothered her the most was that she couldn't wear her wetsuit, her breasts have started to swell and it was a bit too tight in the chest for her to be comfortable." Justine laughed "If she thought she was uncomfortable then give her a couple of months, she'll be learning a whole new meaning of the word 'uncomfortable'!"

I made myself an espresso and walked into my office. She was right-after seeing the mounds of paper neatly stacked on my desk I wished I was back on the Isilme. I sat down and contemplated it all then decided my first course of action was to find a place on the credenza behind my desk for the photo of us that John took of us. It was a silhouette of us on the beach kissing with 'another crap Aitutaki sunset', as Katie would call it, in the background (every sunset there was spectacular). I also had another picture of Katie to put on my desk. It was one that I took of her in her black wetsuit with the white sand and the blues and greens of the lagoon behind her. I sat there and stared at that picture for a long time and daydreamed. My reveries were broken by the nasal 'Noo Yawk' accent of Claire running through the door towards me "Ohmigawd! I am SO glad you are back! You can't go anywhere ever again; I'm going to chain you to that desk!" She gave me a big hug and said "Did you know that being a department head really, really sucks? You can keep it; it is a _Texas_ sized pain in the ass! So...give me the scoop on your honeymoon! Did you have a good time? Did you see any sharks? Did Katie take any embarrassing photos of you that I can buy off her to blackmail you with? Did you..." At that moment Don and Foghorn walked in and sat down on the sofa, Don chuckled and said "Enquiring minds want to know! Welcome back, Martin! You were greatly missed while you were away..." Foghorn added "You can say that again! Claire may be a fine surgeon but she is not exactly management material. Anyway, let's hear all about it!" Claire spotted the new picture of Katie on my desk, picked it up and showed it to Don and Foghorn "No _wonder_ he was sitting here daydreaming when I ran in here, get a _load_ of this! Did she _paint_ that on or what?" I smiled and said "What." Foghorn took a look and said "_Dayum!_ You better lock that up in your desk, son, or you will have every male member of the staff that isn't gay up here trying to get an eyeful. So, tell us all about it. I've never been to that part of the world." I gave them a truncated version of our honeymoon and show them some photos. When I mentioned the incident where I had to perform the Pericardiocentesis Don interjected "We've already heard something about that. Foghorn, the board of directors and I received very nice letters of appreciation and thanks from the parents of the boy and the local Doctor. That was a nice piece of work in a very unconventional setting, tell us about it." I ran through the story and when I finished Foghorn said "You still got the 'Midas touch', boy..." I looked at the clock on my desk, it read half ten. "Well, I'd better start wading through all of this. I will be out of the office after 2pm, I will be with Katie at her prenatal exam.

I started with sorting the mail-making notes for the ones that needed official replies, ones that needed personal replies, a pile for ones that just needed to be filed and binning the ones that didn't. I received a letter from the father of the boy thanking me for saving his life along with a surprise-apparently the father is CFO of Qantas Airlines and enclosed in the envelope was two passes made out in my and Katie's name allowing us to fly first class free anywhere they fly. That was quite kind of him and I am sure Katie will be happy to hear that. I put his letter in the personal reply stack. When I finished with that I called Justine in and we went through the official reply stack and handed her the stack of the ones that just needed filing and she started work on those. So much for the mail, now for the email. Most of that was routine and I fired off replies to the ones that needed them and sorted the others into their folders. I received a reply from Peter Cronk that had been sent yesterday.

_Dear Dr. Ellingham,_

_I have thought about the question you posed, I have also discussed it with my mother. Then I thought about it again. I know this is a huge decision and one that will change my life forever. I know that by making this decision that I may not ever come 'home' to Britain and Cornwall except as a visitor. My mother and I are both __well__ aware of that fact. I would be worried about it more if she was the way she was when we lived in Port Wenn with the constant panic attacks and breathing difficulties. Thanks to your help getting her into a respiratory therapy program and a psychotherapy program to lessen her panic attacks she is a much different person then the one you knew. It also helps that I am older and she doesn't have to worry about me so much and the chippy she opened in Penzance with her friend is doing good business so she has less financial worries. Another big help is that she has met a very nice man who treats her well-in fact he asked her to marry him yesterday. His name is Vince and he is one of the fishermen who supplies her shop-he is a widower who has two grown children of his own._

_So after all the discussion and thought I have made my decision-it is a resounding YES! I would like to apply for the M.D. /Ph.D. Medical Scientist Training Program at Rice and Baylor and YES! I would be overjoyed and honoured to assist you on your research project in __any__ way I can. Mere words cannot express my thanks and gratitude to you for your assistance in this matter and for all you have done for me throughout my life. In fact I owe you my life! If it weren't for you I would have bled out in the ambulance to Truro. I know how difficult that was for you at the time to do what you did on that ride to the hospital and that was (and is) a testimony to the man and Doctor you are. If I become one tenth the man and Doctor you are I will consider myself a success at both medicine and at life._

_I hope things are going well for you and Katie and that you had a wonderful honeymoon! I look forward to meeting her-from what I have heard about her from James, Louisa and the others who have met her she sounds like she is an incredible woman! It is rather strange to hear someone's ex-wife speak so glowingly of their ex-husband's new wife but Louisa does. She loves her and considers her a friend! I also heard about the school project you two assisted on-it was the talk of the town when I was there last week. Burt even held a 'South Pacific night' at his restaurant which was well attended and everyone had a __very__ good time. I am sure that anyone from that area of the world wouldn't recognize anything at that night but it was enjoyed by all. He has a new chef and she found some recipes from the area that she could make from ingredients they could obtain in Cornwall and they were actually quite tasty. _

_Please let me know what I need to do on my end to assist you in making this happen and I look forward to (hopefully) seeing you soon! Thank you again for being so kind in helping me and all my best wishes to you and your lovely wife,_

_Peter Cronk_

I called Don and discussed the situation with Peter then we arranged a conference call with us and Ravi at Baylor and George over at Rice. I sent over Peter's transcripts and told them about him. This is one of the things I am beginning to really like about America and Texas-they don't waste a lot of time in unnecessary pussyfooting about. No 'palace intrigues' here-if a decision needs to be made they just do it and find a way to make it happen! Anyway the decision came down to this. The slots for this year's class (starting in September) were already filled and Peter did need to take a couple of additional courses to be truly qualified for the program. Don approved of adding Peter to my team as a junior assistant. We decided the best thing to do was to have him come over, he could take the courses he needed this year while assisting on the project and he would enter the M.D. /Ph.D. Medical Scientist Training program starting a year from September when that year's class started. Ravi and George said they would need the official transcripts mailed to them from Peter's university for their records but for right now the .pdf's would do to get the ball rolling. We would all look into funding and scholarships but all said that if he was indeed the type of person I had said he was and the transcripts indicated then it would be no problem in finding funding for him. Ravi, George and Don said that if Peter could rustle up a couple of formal letters of recommendation from his professors along with one from me those would help greatly. We all had to get going but agreed to have lunch later in the week to discuss it further.

I looked at the time, it was almost noon. I went down to the cafe and had a sandwich and a salad then went back to the office. I still had about an hour before Katie would be here. Not enough time to start digging into the Budget or the other stuff so I wrote a reply to Peter.

_Dear Peter,_

_Thank you for your kind reply and kind words. I am glad to hear that your mother is doing so well and has found a good man. I didn't get to talk to her much when she was there at the party but she did seem to be doing quite well._

_I just finished a conference call with Dr. Sharma at Baylor, Dr. Johnson at Rice and Dr. Kane at DeBakey and the following is a summary of it._

_The positions are filled for this year's class and Dr. Sharma and Dr. Johnson said that you did need a couple additional courses to qualify. What they suggested is that you take the courses this year and enter the program with next year's class-if you take the courses at Rice and Baylor that will help on their end. You will already be a student at the universities when you enter the program next year._

_Dr. Kane has no problem with my adding you to my staff as a junior research assistant._

_We will all look into funding/scholarships but that should not pose any real difficulties. We will need official copies of your transcripts and if you can obtain and letters of recommendation from your professors those would help, too. I will, of course, be writing a letter of recommendation for you, too. Don't worry about this part of the situation. The funding will be there-it will just take a bit of paperwork._

_So the plan is, if you are willing and approve of it, is to have you come over here and start classes in September at Rice and Baylor along with working for me at DeBakey. Next year you will enter the M.D. /Ph.D. Medical Scientist Training program while continuing to work for me._

_Katie and I have discussed the situation and if all this comes to pass you are welcome to stay at our home until you get settled in and are able to find a place of your own. We have plenty of room on the third floor and with a little bit of furniture moving and rearranging it would make a nice private area for you. Currently we use that as a large media room/sitting area and Katie has her office up there. The only caveat Katie had was, and I quote "As long as he doesn't mind the occasional crying baby, that is."_

_Please let me know what your decision is as soon as possible._

_Dr. Martin C. Ellingham MD, MCh, M.B.E., FRCS, FACS, FACC, FRCGP_

I still had some time left before I had to go so I decided to tackle the smallest of the three evils on my desk and reviewed the weekly department reports and read the department head meeting minutes and the transcript of the monthly M&M. As I read the M&M I sighed and thought to myself 'I'm going to have to have a 'little chat' with Claire'. Foghorn was right, she may be a fine surgeon but she isn't management material..._yet_. She _will_ be after I get done with her. In her position she _has_ to be prepared to take over as acting department head from time to time and she will have to be ready to do so by end of January when I will be on family leave. Justine poked her head into the office and said "Dr. Ellingham, there is a delivery here for you that you have to personally sign for." "Thank you, Justine." I got up and headed out to the reception area and signed for the package. Justine enquired "What is it?" I smiled and said "Katie's birthday present." She replied "Ooooh! What did you get her?" I opened the package and pulled it out, not only so Justine could see it but so I could ensure that it was in good condition and was done the way I specified. They did an excellent job on it. Justine said "That is beautiful! Japanese, isn't it?" I replied "Yes, it is. It is by one of her favorite artists and I was fortunate to track down an original print of it. It is called "Snow at Zojo Temple, Tokyo" by Hasui. I put it back in its packaging and said "I'd better hide this before she gets here!"

I had just finished hiding it as best I could when I heard Justine say "Howdy, Katie! You certainly look like you had a great time on your honeymoon!" Then I heard her ask in a softer tone "How you feeling, honey?" Katie replied "Hi Justine! We had a fantastic time! I'll give you the run down on it later, I have to go down and get poked, prodded and probably yelled at by Matsuko in a couple of minutes..." I heard her say softly "I feel like crap today but don't tell him that. Right now all I want to do is take a nap." I walked out of my office and gave Katie a hug and a kiss "Ready to go, sweetie?" She put her arm around me and said "Yup! Well, as ready as I can be. See ya later, Justine!" I looked at Justine and said "If I'm needed, call me." and we set off for Matsuko's office.

I sat down and read while Matsuko performed the private part of the examination. I knew that I could have just sat in my office continued to work until called down but I wanted to be 'there' for her. I didn't have the opportunity to do so when Louisa was pregnant with James. I started thinking about all that happened during that time again...as I did so I felt both angry and sad. If those thoughts might appear selfish to others I don't care anymore. I _do_ feel I was deprived of so much during that time and if anyone was being selfish during that time it was _not_ me! I _wanted_ to help and was pushed away at every opportunity, even to the endangerment of both Louisa and James's health! (That damned harpy of a midwife!) Oh, well...water under the bridge...no point in dwelling on it...no point in being angry anymore...this time it's different...

_Inside the exam room Matsuko was conducting the exam and they were talking while she did so. Katie said to Matsuko "I need you to help me out with something, OK?" Matsuko looked up, somewhat concerned "What's the matter?" Katie sighed and said "I need you to try to give Martin information that any first time father needs to know without it __appearing__ that you are treating him like one. What no one here knows and it goes no further than this room is that, for all intents and purposes, he __is__ a first time father in dealing with pregnancy. He may know the drill from a doctor's point of view but doesn't from a father's point of view-and you have to admit those are two very different perspectives. He didn't know Louisa was pregnant with James until she was six months along and all during the rest of her pregnancy they argued constantly and she pushed him away and wouldn't let him have anything to do with helping her. He didn't even get to feel the baby move around inside her...It's a __very__ long story and one I don't feel at liberty to divulge the details to outside of what I've just said so __please__ don't ask about it-he still feels angry and sad about it all. Just help him out a bit, OK?" Matsuko shook her head "Poor man...I didn't know..." She thought a moment and said "What I will do is preface those kinds of things with 'As you know...' or wording of that effect. If he gets a bit 'testy' about it I will just say that I do that to all fathers, even ones that have six kids just to remind them, it's nothing personal. Think that will work?" Katie smiled and replied "That would be great! Thanks, hun!"_

Matsuko poked her head out of the door and said "Come on in, Martin!" I got up and went and sat down next to Katie and gave her a kiss and held her hand. Matsuko said "Let's see what's going on inside you..." and started applying the ultrasound gel. Katie flinched a bit and exclaimed "Where do you keep that stuff? The freezer? _Jeez_..." Matsuko smiled "I keep _yours_ in a liquid nitrogen vat, just because I like you!...OK, here we go...so far, so good...they're both still there-no vanishing twin syndrome...roughly equal in size and within normal parameters for gestational age, that's good...dizygotic...you can see the toes starting to form...let's see what we have for heartbeats..." She made a few adjustments and turned the audio monitor up. "Ah, there we are! Number one sounds strong...161 beats per minute...moving over to number 2...strong...164 beats per minute..." We looked at each other and smiled as we listened, I gently squeezed her hand. When done Matsuko cleaned and placed the transducer back into its holder then cleaned the gel off Katie's abdomen. "You can get dressed now, Katie. Martin and I will be in my office, come down when you are ready." I gave Katie a quick kiss and followed Matsuko to her office.

Matsuko was looking at the lab results while we talked about the birthday party Jerry and Claire wanted to have for Katie. When we heard Jody greet Katie as she walked into the outer office we changed the subject because the party was to be a surprise. Katie came into the office and sat down next to me, she looked a bit apprehensive. Matsuko saw that too and said "There's nothing to worry about so relax. In fact I'm quite pleased...for the most part. The only thing that concerns me right now is that you have actually _lost_ weight over the last four weeks-two pounds to be exact. That, I'm sure, comes from being very active and exercising a lot on your honeymoon and now that you're back and less active I expect that you will start to gain weight. I'm going to want you back in here next week to weigh you, if you still are at the same weight or have lost a bit I will start to worry. The lab tests show no problems so far though I will warn both of you that over the next few weeks I will be running a full battery of tests on you, partially due to your age and partially because you and Martin are Rh incompatible. His blood type is A positive, yours is O negative. What that means is if one or both of the babies has his blood type you may start to develop antibodies to them, essentially your body will view them as intruders...Don't worry, Katie! Let me finish...OK...This is rarely a problem with a first pregnancy but it still can be one. This condition is easily treated nowadays with a drug called Rhogam, what that does is minimizes your body's sensitivity to Rh positive blood cells. There is little risk in having this drug, but as with everything, there is _some_ risk. I am going to want to run weekly blood tests on you to look for signs that you are developing antibodies to them. I will tell you right now that I am going to be very _overcautious_ when it comes to you because of your age, the possibility of Rh incompatibility but the main reasons are that I really like both of you and I don't want to get my butt kicked by your hubby if something gets missed or goes wrong! In case you haven't noticed he has rather large feet..." Katie laughed at that "NO! Say it ain't so! They may be big, but I think they're cute! Besides, you know what they say about men with big hands and big feet..." Matsuko started to blush, I could feel myself starting to blush, too. Katie looked at both of us and laughed "Big gloves and big shoes! What did you think I meant by that? Though I _will_ tell you..." I put my hand over her mouth and she started giggling. Matsuko laughed and said "Is she always like this?" I replied "Sometimes...but it's all a part of her charm." I dropped my hand and rested it on her shoulder; she put her hand on mine. "All I was going to say was that it was hard finding a pair of flippers that would fit him comfortably. Jeez..." We both could tell by the mischievous glint in her eye that was _not_ what she was going to say. Matsuko chuckled "_You two_...anyway, do either of you have any questions for me? As you know, Martin, the hormones are really starting to kick in so she may get very moody on you, just try to remember that it is the hormones that are doing the talking. I know it might be hard at times but do try." I said "I am well aware of that, I was a GP for a very long time." Matsuko replied "I remind all fathers-to-be of this fact, even if they have been through all of this before. Sometimes during the previous pregnancies they have gone through it doesn't happen or is very mild and are then surprised by how bad it is the next time around. It's nothing personal. She looked at both of us waiting to see if we had any questions, we didn't. "Well, if you don't have any questions I guess I will see you next week for your blood test, Katie, or sooner if you are roaming around the hospital." We got up to leave and thanked Matsuko and went back to my office.

When we got there Justine asked how everything went and Katie sat down and told her while I went into my office and put the budget and research folders in my briefcase, checked for messages-there were none. I walked back out into the reception area and shut the door to my office "Justine, I'm going to give Katie a ride home. She walked here this afternoon..." Justine looked at Katie and asked her "Are you _nuts_? It's almost a hundred degrees out!" Katie replied "Most of the way I was walking under trees through the neighborhoods and the university. I needed a walk and it was nice and cool! It only got bad when I had to cross the street to get into the building." I said "I'm taking the budget and research stuff home; I'll work on it tonight. If anyone needs me, call me." Then I held out my hand to Katie and said "Come on, you nutty pregnant lady! Let's go home."


	64. Chapter 64-Double Stuffed Oreos

**_Chapter 64: Double Stuffed Oreos_**

This morning I woke with the roseate colored dawn and wondered where the last couple of months had gone-I've been _so_ busy! I rolled over on my side and cuddled up next to Katie and gently ran my hand up and down her now very pregnant belly as she slept...as they slept. I gently kissed her. It was a year ago almost to the day when I decided to leave everything behind and seek a new life knowing not what lay ahead but knowing I had to do something or die. A year ago at this time in the morning I would have stood out in front of the surgery with my espresso looking forward to another dismal day in Port Wenn, my _only_ joy in life would soon be entering the little schoolhouse across the harbor with his mother. This morning I was lying beside my soul mate pondering the new lives growing inside her and 5 hours to the east my son was starting his new life in Worcestershire. Soon he would have a baby sister and a couple of months after he would have a baby brother and another baby sister. I felt something move! Just a little flutter...I held my hand still hoping to feel it again and there it was! I had felt other babies move inside their mothers as a GP but this was the first time I felt a child of mine move. It was a _wondrous_ feeling! I felt the tears roll down my cheeks and a gentle hand caress mine "Did you feel it too?" I could only nod; I had no words to describe how I felt. We lay motionless and silent in hopes that we would feel them move again and after a few minutes there was another little flutter. We looked at each other and smiled, tears in our eyes, our hands caressing her belly where our children were waking up to greet the day. The damned alarm clock went off breaking the spell, I turned it off. I groaned "Oh god, I wish I could just lie here with you all day!" She kissed me on the cheek "I wish we could lie here all day, too, but today is going to be a very busy day for both of us." I pulled her close and we kissed a long and loving kiss and caressed each other, when we parted I said "I guess we better start the day. Shower with a friend?" She giggled "I can't think of a _better_ way to start the day!" I got out of bed and helped her get up-it was getting hard for her to get out of bed and we headed to the shower.

She was right, it was going to be a busy day. This morning I had a procedure to assist on-Dr. Padilla was soloing on an EVAR/hybrid procedure. Afterwards I had a board meeting to attend, then I would go and do a final inspection of my new lab if time allowed. At 3pm Katie had an appointment with Matsuko and she would be giving us the results of the battery of tests she ran Tuesday-she ran every single test including one for Thalassemia. So far everything was fine, no signs of any birth defects, no Rh sensitization even though our daughter had my blood type. Our son was, in Matsuko's words, 'cranking out a lot of testosterone' which she suspected was part of the cause in Katie's problem in putting on weight. This was the only 'major' problem Matsuko saw in Katie's pregnancy so far. Katie was one of those 'lucky ones' who could eat all day long and not gain weight and now she was consuming almost 3,000 calories a day and barely meeting the minimum weight guidelines that Matsuko had set for her. After her exam Katie would go home and take a short nap then make dinner and I would head to the airport to pick up Peter. Over the last couple of weeks Katie had cleared out her office and put some of her things in storage so Peter could have that as a bedroom and Claire, Jerry, Ryan and Matsuko came over last weekend to help me move the furniture. Don assisted in a 'supervisory' capacity; basically he watched or carried small things and helped Katie make dinner-with his back the way it is he can't do much heavy lifting. We set up Katie's desk downstairs next to mine in my office and rearranged things on the third floor so Peter would essentially have a one bedroom flat. There was a full bath on the third floor so about the only thing he wouldn't have up there was a kitchen.

Claire was rapidly turning into Katie's 'best buddy'. They already shared a love for the same sports, movies and TV shows and had the same kind of wicked humor. The running commentary out of those two as they watched a game or TV show was actually quite funny! Claire found out that Katie used to play a lot of Ice Hockey and they planned to start a hospital team when Katie was able to play after the birth of our children. I didn't know how I felt about that-all I knew about Ice Hockey was that it was a very rough sport but Claire explained "Look, Martin, in Hockey the _one_ player that is the most protected is the goaltender. They have more padding than a medieval knight and they are _sacrosanct_-if anyone on the opposing team _dares_ do anything to them they_ immediately_ get the ghetto beat down from the rest of the team! Only a fool or a masochist dares to touch the goalie! Judging by the equipment Katie has and the videos she showed me of the games she had played in she is a damned good and _smart_ freestyle/hybrid goalie. That is very rare to find and, I must add, she can be real_ nasty_ if needed. No one will get a chance to mess with her_ twice_...unless they want to see their balls hanging off her stick and they become the newest member of the Pope's castrati choir! Ye, gods-she has even scored two goals! Only Hextall or Brodeur could handle a goalie stick like her, in fact she reminds me a lot of Hextall in his prime-very mobile, willing to play the puck, _dangerous_. Besides, in the league we'd be playing in checking is not allowed and everyone is required to wear full pads. All the people who play in it are professionals-lawyers, doctors, professors, scientists, businesspeople, etc.-none of whom can afford to play 'old tyme hockey' and be injured. You know...you would make an _excellent _defenseman...tall, agile, long arms...can be nasty when provoked...have to teach you how to skate first then how to play..."

I was pondering the pros and cons of my wife putting on 40 pounds of padding, a Kevlar, carbon fiber and steel goalie mask and playing Hockey while I dressed. I still didn't know how I felt about that but I knew that Katie really wanted to. We'll see...maybe her mind will change after the twins are born. I needed to 'suit up' today for the board meeting so I selected a blue suit, blue striped shirt, the regimental blue tie James had given me and the paua pearl cufflinks Katie had given me. I did find those soothing to wear, when I was having a rough day all I needed to do was look at them and remember our 'slice of paradise' and today had the potential for being one where I would need to look at them. I went downstairs to the kitchen to find Katie making me an espresso and our breakfast almost ready. I set the table while she plated everything up. She had stopped drinking her 'prescription coffee' because it made her feel queasy and had switched to cocoa. She had made me egg and soldiers and she was having her morning bowl of Raisin Bran accompanied by melon slices and orange juice for both of us along with an extra glass of milk for her. She was being very good about making sure she ate things that provided the extra vitamins and nutrients that both she and the babies needed to be healthy. Matsuko told me privately that she wished all the patients she saw were as meticulous as Katie was in following doctors' orders. I did tell Matsuko about 'The Oreo Incident' and she wasn't worried though I was at the time. Katie had this intense craving for mint flavored double stuffed Oreos so, being the good husband I am, I didn't lecture her about the empty calories or the sugar (she was having a hard time gaining weight as it was and was otherwise being very good nutritionally-besides, I remember how much that pissed Louisa off). Instead I got dressed and went out at 11pm in a thunderstorm and got her a package. What happened next was something only seen in David Attenborough documentaries! It was a feeding frenzy-she ate the _whole package_ in one sitting, accompanied by a quart of milk! Then she gave me a big, minty Oreo flavored kiss and lay down like a sated lioness after consuming a wildebeest. As she lay there the scene I had just witnessed replayed in my head accompanied by narration from Sir David. I laughed and she asked what I was laughing about. I replied in my best David Attenborough impersonation "Her hunger satisfied, the sated lioness dozes beside her mate. The stripped carcass of the wildebeest she had dined on lies lifeless in the distance, the vultures and hyenas fighting over the few crumbs left." She started to giggle "Don't make me laugh or I'll burst! I'd better go brush my teeth before they corrode..."

After breakfast Katie and I went our separate ways. I got into the Bentley and made my way to the hospital and Katie got into her new Merc wagon and headed off to the grocery store to do the shopping. I arrived at my office at half eight, my procedure was scheduled for nine. Justine greeted me as I walked in and handed me a copy of my schedule for the day "Good Morning, Dr. Ellingham! How are you today? Looks like it's going to be a busy day! There are no messages for you. How's Katie doing today?" I replied "Good Moring Justine! I'm fine...She's fine...this morning I felt the babies move for the first time so for me it is already a great day!" Justine smiled "_Oh, that's wonderful_! I always got all emotional when I felt mine move for the first time. I thought that after three children it wouldn't affect me as much as it did when I felt my fourth one move for the first time but I started crying like I had with the first." I nodded in agreement. She had no way of knowing this _was_ the first time for me. "I'd better change into my scrubs. Oh, could you track a flight for me?" She replied "Sure thing, give me the airline and flight number." I wrote it down for her then went and changed into my scrubs then headed for the OR.

Today's procedure was fairly routine for me, but not for Dr. Padilla. I would be assisting and assessing him on his first solo EVAR/hybrid procedure. There had been some question as to my allowing interns to solo on this procedure but I pointed out that the best way to learn how to do something was to observe first then actually do it. On solos of this nature I would assist and be at the ready to jump in if needed. I have had to jump in on occasion but the patients I allow interns to solo on are ones that are in good health in all other aspects and generally would not present any complications during the procedure. This morning was no different and Dr. Padilla did quite well. After the procedure I sat down with him and gave him my assessment of his performance. I told him that the only negative that I saw was that he was very nervous at the start and was timid throughout. He had to remember that when he was the surgeon in charge that it was 'his room' and he _had_ to be the one in command and the one to instill confidence in the others. Dr. Padilla told me "I'm sorry...it's just that it was very intimidating having you in there. I was so afraid that I would fail in front of one of the best surgeons in the world and, no disrespect intended, one that is noted for his explosive temper and intolerance of fools. I don't know if you are aware of it but your _mere presence_ in the operating room or in the observation gallery for us interns is _very intimidating_!" I smiled and put a hand on his shoulder "I know and understand. I felt the same way when I was a junior house officer. Do you want to know why I assist on first solos?" He replied "Yes, sir. I would think that someone like you would have better things to do and leave this kind of thing to Dr. Smith." I said "Precisely because I _know_ I intimidate you. It adds a feeling of 'pressure' in an environment where it should not affect the outcome of the procedure or the health of the patient. You have to get used to operating under and coping with severe pressures in order to succeed. My being in there gives you a little taste of that effect so you understand how it feels and can learn how to overcome it." Dr. Padilla nodded and said "I see the wisdom of it." I got up to leave and said "Good...You have the makings of a fine surgeon; just have a bit more confidence in yourself."

I went back to the office, showered and put my suit on. Justine had gone to lunch but had sent a link to track Peter's flight to my phone. It had departed Heathrow on time and was en route. I went down to grab a bite to eat before the board meeting and sat with Ryan, Ivan and Claire. Claire had told them of her plans on starting a hockey team and both Ryan and Ivan were quite excited about it, especially seeing as they had 'a real goalie' ready to play as soon as she could. I told them that I wasn't sure about it because I didn't want her to get hurt. Claire asked me if I had ever seen any of the videos Katie had of her playing, I said I hadn't. She pulled out her tablet and loaded one. What I saw was to me rather horrifying but the others were all excited and enjoying it immensely. When it was over they all guessed by the look on my face that I was none too thrilled with the prospects of my wife and mother of my children playing a game like that. Ryan said "Martin, what you saw in this video is _not_ the type of hockey that is played in the city league. Hell, I wouldn't play in the league if they played at that level. My hands are too valuable and I can't afford to be injured. What you _did_ see here is probably one of the finest amateur goalies I have ever seen. I wish we had her when I played on my college hockey team! At least let her try it and come and see for yourself before you dismiss it." Claire and Ivan echoed his sentiments and Claire begged "Pleeeeesssseeeee...be a pal!" I said I would think about it though I didn't think my opinion would change. I mentioned to them that she probably wouldn't be able to because of her knee, hoping that would shut down the idea. Ivan said "What's wrong with it?" I replied "She has had three surgeries on it; it had to be rebuilt after a skiing accident." Ivan asked "Does she have problems with it now?" I replied "Sometimes she twists it and has a hard time with it for a day or two-limping, painful to bend fully or straighten, hard to go up and down stairs. When that happens she spends a lot of time in the whirlpool" I didn't mention that I spent a lot of time in it with her and I felt a slight smile starting to creep across my face. I stifled it. He nodded and said "Perhaps I should take a look at it, maybe I can help." I replied "Ask her...anyway, it is just about time for the meeting and I need to stop at my office before I go up there." Ryan and Ivan were also attending the meeting so we all got up to leave. Claire said "Have fun!" and got up to back to work.

The meeting was nothing special-just the usual quarterly meeting. I excused myself from the after meeting chat session to attend Katie's appointment with Matsuko. I went back to my office, Katie was there talking with Justine about 'mom stuff'. I greeted them and walked over to Katie and extended my hand "Ready to go, sweetie?" Katie giggled and said "Yup! Thanks for the hand, hun! You have _no_ idea how important a waist is until you don't have one anymore!" Justine laughed "If you think it's bad now, just wait!" Katie replied "Gee..thanks, Justine! You're a ray of sunshine!" "Always happy to help, Katie!" I said to Justine as we left "If I'm needed, call me." and we left for Matsuko's. I sat and read with the occasional check on the flightracker while Katie was in with Matsuko. While I waited I thought about this morning…how _it_felt and how_ I_ felt. Before I 'knew' they were in there but it was all a bit abstract, now it's _real_. We've _touched _each other, albeit through their mother. I must admit I was not totally prepared for how it affected me-I knew it would, but not as profoundly as it had. My mind was wandering through a maze of thought involving multiple disciplines of science, philosophy, history and religion and didn't notice that Matsuko was standing there. "Martin..." I quickly swept my thoughts into the 'thoughts to be continued later' basket in my mind "Sorry...I was thinking." Matsuko smiled "Obviously...anyway, you can come in now."

I followed her into her office and sat down next to Katie, she took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "I have all the results of the tests we ran on Tuesday. In a nutshell everything came back clean-no indicators for any birth defects or other abnormalities. You are not showing signs of Rh sensitization but I would like to give you Rhogam when we hit 28 weeks just to nip it in the bud if it occurs. No signs of the onset of gestational diabetes or anemia. All in all you have two healthy babies in there and you are healthy! My only concern is, as it has been throughout this, is your weight. I am going to guess that you are going to be one of those few that will be barely able to meet the guidelines at best. Your metabolism is working against us in that respect. Keep trying and keep following the nutritional guidelines I have set out for you and I will continue to monitor the situation. Try to rest as much as possible. Martin, here is a copy of all the test results for your perusal. If you have questions, call me."

"There are a couple of other subjects I would like to cover before I open the floor to questions. One is that, I'm sorry Katie, I can no longer authorize you to fly for the duration of your pregnancy-neither as a pilot or commercially. No strenuous sports-no scuba diving, skating, surfing, skiing, or bicycle riding. No playing hockey no matter how much Claire and Ryan want you to." Katie looked at her like a child who was being sent to their room for being naughty "Aw, _maaaan_...you're no fun! At least I can still go skydiving or bungee jumping..." Matsuko chuckled "No skydiving, no bungee jumping... swimming is OK as long as you are on the surface, no diving and no sitting on the bottom of the pool holding your breath. On the bright side I see no problems with you two continuing to have sexual relations as long as there is no pressure on the abdomen and no 'rough sex', not that I think you two are into that but if you are save it for later. Any questions?" Katie said "This isn't a question per se, more of a complaint looking for a solution. I know it's normal to be tired but the last week or so I have been _so _tired and lethargic. I spend most of the day sleeping in front of the TV or nodding out while reading a book when I should be getting things done around the house. I'm not used to that and _I don't like it_. I know its normal but I just feel so 'brain dead' all the time. Is there something I can do to boost my energy and concentration levels?" Matsuko replied "You may want to consume more protein in the form of red meat, the extra protein will help with the exhaustion and the iron will help with blood production. I also know you watch your sugar intake and though I generally do_ not_ recommend the following to most expecting mothers I am going to in your case. A _couple_ of Oreos _or_ a milkshake a day is fine-the sugar will give you a bit of an energy boost and the milk consumed in either a milkshake of drunk with the Oreos adds more protein. Just don't eat the whole damned bag of Oreos at one sitting! Any other questions?" We didn't have any so Matsuko said "Get out of here and go enjoy the rest of the day!" We thanked her and left.

Katie had walked to the hospital as she normally does for her appointments; she usually tries to walk a mile or two a day if she feels up to it. It was getting close to the time I had to head to the airport "Do you want to come along to the airport or do you want me to drop you off at home?" She thought about it for a minute and said "I think I'll go with you to the airport. I put the sauce in the crock pot so that doesn't need babysitting and everything else is ready. I can wait with the car outside the terminal so you don't have to park it, if they tell me to move it I'll toss the 'amazing exploding pregnant woman' card. It always works!" I smiled and gave her a hug "Let's go!"


	65. Chapter 65-Peter Comes to America

**_Chapter 65: Peter Comes to America_**

The flight was on time and we arrived just as the baggage from the flight hit the carousel. I saw Peter among the crowd retrieving their luggage; there were too many people there so I stood off to one side and waited. He eventually found his bags and made his way out of the milling crowd. I walked up to him as he exited the throng "Welcome to Houston, Peter! How was your flight?" he set his bags down and shook my hand "Thank you, Dr. Ellingham! It's great to see you again! The flight was good, saw some really big thunderstorms over...Alabama I believe it was. Not quite up on US geography yet. By the way, thank you for the first class ticket. I was shocked!" I picked up one of his bags and said "I'm glad you enjoyed it. The last thing I needed was to have to treat you for deep vein thrombosis. The car is right outside. Do you have everything?" He double checked his bags and replied "Yes I do." I stopped right before the automatic door opened "Brace yourself; it's a very hot and humid day. You'll be used to it in a week or two. It's a short walk to the car. Ready?" he nodded and we walked out into the heat. "Wow! You weren't joking-it's like walking into a steam bath!" I laughed "When I first experienced it I felt like a Lobster being slowly steamed." Katie had seen us and already had the boot open. "Howdy, Peter! It's so nice to meet you finally! Just pop your bags in the trunk, or boot for our British viewers, and we'll get you out of the sauna." We put his bags in the boot and he shook Katie's hand "it is so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Ellingham! I've heard so much about you!" "Just call me Katie, hun! I'll get in back..." Peter stopped her "No, I'll sit in the back. It's easier for me to get in and out there. I've been around enough expecting women to know that you'll be more comfortable in front and I will be plenty comfortable in back" She smiled "I'll be just fine back there, I can get in and out of it quite easily..." She sat in back "See? Now get in before you die of heat stroke!"

The sun was setting by the time we were on our way which turned the mirrored glass of the skyscrapers to liquid gold and the brightly colored lights on some of them had been lit, the strobes on St. Luke's flashed and the blue 'tiara' on Methodist glowed. As we drove home Peter remarked on what he was seeing and we talked about things in general. Traffic was light so we made it home quickly. Katie opened the door to the house while Peter and I grabbed his luggage out of the boot. When Peter walked into the house he stopped and I almost ran into him. "Something the matter, Peter? He moved to let me pass by and said "No…not at all…This is a _beautiful_ home! The smell of the flowers is wonderful and whatever it is that is cooking smells delicious!" Katie smiled and said "I hope you like Tortellini! It's my traditional 'welcome to our home' dinner." I gave her a quick kiss and said "I'll get Peter settled in and show him around. I'm going to change out of this suit, too." Katie replied "Sounds good! I'll get dinner ready to the point that it will be done within 20 minutes of when we decide to eat." and she headed off to the kitchen. We picked up his bags and he followed me up the stairs "We've rearranged things so you have the third floor to yourself, hopefully you will be comfortable there. If you wish to change the layout of the furniture we can do that tomorrow." We arrived at his 'flat' and he said "This is all for _me_? I swear the sitting area is bigger than any place I have lived in before." I showed him where the bedroom and the bath were "I'll let you explore and freshen up if you feel like it. I'm going to change out of this suit. We'll be in the pool, come down when you're ready." Peter replied "Thank you, Dr. Ellingham..._for everything_!" I smiled "When we are at home please call me Martin and you're most welcome. See you in a bit!" With that I left him to it and changed into my swim trunks then went to see what Katie was up to. She had changed into her "I feel like a giant Guppy!" 'swim suit' and was already in the pool. She didn't fit into her skinsuit anymore so she had taken to wearing black swim pants and a loose fitting tie dyed rash guard. It looked nice, but not as nice as her skinsuit….or _that _wetsuit. I dived into the pool, it was warm from the heat of the day but it felt good. I swam up to Katie and kissed her, my hands caressing her belly. I felt little flutters of movement. She put her hands on mine to guide them to where they were moving around the most "They like swimming, I think they're doing laps in there right now. They had been quiet until I got into the pool then they started moving around a _lot_. Maybe they became active because gravity isn't affecting them as much in here-I know it's helping me."

We swam for a bit then relaxed in the whirlpool and talked-our current discussion was baby names. I had told her about the tradition in my family of giving boys their own unique Christian name and the name of their father and grandfather as middle names, she told me that in hers the girls have 'nature' middle names-her sister had Linden and she had Rose. Peter came down about a half an hour after I left him. "Mind if I join you?" Katie slid over next to me and said "Come on in! We have the heater off on this so it's cooler than the pool. It feels nice!" Peter climbed in with an "_Ahhh!_ It does feel nice!" I said "Peter, this is your home. You do not need to ask permission to do anything...well, most anything." Katie laughed "True...For example you _would_ have to ask permission to overhaul a motorcycle in the living room, that kind of thing. By the way, please let me know when you two are ready to eat dinner." Peter slid over to the back massager and sighed contentedly "I'm still a bit wound up from the excitement of the day, but this is really helping. I've never been out of the UK before or been in Heathrow airport-that place is rather daunting." We both laughed in agreement and I said "It can be...it definitely isn't one of my favorite airports." Katie said "For maximum major airport suckage _nothing_ beats Washington. Dulles. International. Airport.-I was snowed in there for two days, it _truly_ is the eighth level of hell!" Peter smiled at her "Louisa tells me you used to be a bush pilot and spent many years working in Antarctica. You must have seen worse airports than that." She laughed "Most of the places I went to would not be considered airports-they were runways out in the middle of nowhere. There are two 'airports' at McMurdo-Williams and Pegasus. Both are little more than a runway leveled out snow or ice with a warming shack, a couple of outhouses and fuel tankers. Nice view of Erebus and Terror, though. The worst place I've been to overall was this place in Siberia; it didn't really have a name, just a GPS location. In most of the places I've been giving human names to things and places seems so..._insignificant and irrelevant_...They had a corduroy runway-logs half sunk into the muskeg so the planes wouldn't sink into it as they landed. The place was something out of an 'end of the world' movie. It didn't help that I was the only woman within a thousand miles, either. I stayed on the plane and had my pistol at the ready. _Creepy_...but I made a nice chunk of cash on that one." Peter said "I had no idea...I thought that they would be like a very small airport by a town like the ones I visited in the far corners of the highlands of Scotland." She laughed "Those would be considered major airports where I've been-_all_ the comforts of home! I've been at 'airports' which are only open when the water is frozen so I could land on them on skis or the water isn't frozen so I could land on them with floats. Wheels are useless there-its air and animal power. Anyway...you guys hungry?" Peter and I responded affirmatively "OK...I'm going to go and quick change into dry clothes and get everything going, you guys sit back and relax."

Peter and I followed instructions and sat back and relaxed. I said "Tomorrow I will take you down to the hospital so you can see the lab and will give you a tour of the university campus so you have a feel for where things are. Sunday we can do what we want or need to do. Monday I will drop you off at the university on my way to work. You will need to get a driver's license; Katie will help you with that. She will also teach you how to drive here, outside of driving on the wrong side of the road there are some 'unwritten' customs and practices you need to know in order to avoid getting killed. When I first moved here I must admit I was somewhat frightened to drive here, but once I got used to how things are it isn't so bad." Peter sighed "It will be a long time before I can buy a car, I'm going to save up for a bicycle, though." "Katie kept her old car for you to drive; it's the Honda Civic Si coupé that's parked out in front of the house. We had to get her a new car; it would be too hard to get two babies and all their gear into the Civic not to mention that it's rather uncomfortable for me to drive. We will keep the title in her name and put you on our insurance, once you are able to afford your own insurance and if you want the car we will transfer the title to you." Peter was surprised "Ohmigod! Thank you! You two have been so kind and generous to me! I don't understand why, though." I smiled "Peter, a long time ago I saw your potential but I knew that you would have a hard time achieving what you are capable of without some assistance. I was able to achieve because I came from a family that had the money and the connections to help me do so, dysfunctional as it was otherwise. I told myself long ago that I would monitor your progress and if you stayed the course and did the work to get to where you are now I would take you under my wing and help as best I could. Up until a year ago about the best I thought I would be able to do for you is put in a good word here and there and help pay for your schooling. I had nothing else to offer as the GP for Port Wenn. Now, the situation has radically changed and I can do more. It will still be up to you to work hard to achieve your potential, though." Katie walked over and said "It'll be ready in about 10 minutes if you two want to get cleaned up." She went back to the kitchen and we went to shower and change.

After dinner we went and sat out on the patio-the sea breeze was blowing and it was quite nice out there. Katie had made some fresh squeezed lemonade and it was refreshing. Katie gave Peter an envelope "I made this up for you. Inside it contains a key to the house and the key to the Civic-I have the spare key to the car in case you lock yourself out of it or lose it. It also contains the code for the house alarm, information and passwords to access the house WiFi, LAN and the house server. I built a server to store all our videos and music, we also use it as a backup for our computers and tablets. The video and music folders are accessible to all via computer or any TV in the house; each one of us has our own password protected and encrypted folder. I set one up for you with the dummy password listed on the paper in the envelope, once you log in change the password. The server has a storage capacity of four petabytes with the capacity to add another four so don't worry about how much space you use. All the TV's have Roku boxes and are internet ready. We have Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Amazon prime, Blockbuster on Demand, Pandora and Acorn TV. If you see something you want to add let me know." Peter said "Thank You for the use of your car and everything else! It is truly appreciated! I was going to ask if you had any 'house rules' that I needed to be aware of." I replied "I was going to mention those. We do have a few and they _are_ open to discussion. Pretty basic common sense, common courtesy stuff really..." I listed them off:

1. The third floor is your 'flat'. We respect your privacy and won't go up there without being invited to unless it is an emergency. If we need something out of the storage room we will ask permission to retrieve it. There is a house intercom system and we will use that as a kind of 'doorbell' if needed. There is a small basket on the table in the hallway to the front door, if you receive any mail we will place it in that.

2. If you are the last one out of the house please turn on the alarm. We'll show you how to arm and disarm it.

3. You are welcome to use any of the facilities in the house and the pool at any time except for anything in our bedroom and bath, of course. We do occasionally entertain and you are welcome to join us if you wish-you are a member of the household.

4. Feel free to help yourself to what you want in the kitchen. There are two British grocery stores here and if there are certain things you want from them let Katie know and she will pick them up for you. There is a list on the fridge for things that get used up-if you use the last of something add it to the list so we can replenish the supply. Don't worry if you _do_ use it up, we don't mind. We just want to make sure we get more.

5. If you make a mess please clean up after yourself. We have a cleaning crew that comes in once a month to deep clean the house and they will be doing your flat, too.

6. The legal drinking age in Texas is 21. Yes, I know that seems strange to you but it is the law. Personally we don't care if you have the occasional beer or whatever while here at the house. However, and this is a BIG however-we will not allow you to drive for the rest of the evening. The reason is not based on any 'parental or puritanical' reasons-it is for legal reasons. If you get into an accident or pulled over we _can_ be held liable and possibly prosecuted for providing alcohol to a minor. Even though, under the law, you are an adult in all other aspects-when it comes to alcohol you are still a minor.

7. Katie does laundry on Tuesdays. She has no problems with washing your things along with ours. There is a laundry basket in your closet-just put the items you need washed along with any sheets and towels in it and set it in the laundry room on the second floor. She will wash, dry and fold them and place them back in the basket and set it on the landing to the stairs that goes up to your flat. My lovely wife is highly intelligent and extremely talented but she fails miserably at ironing-she calls an iron a 'doorstop'. You are on your own on that one. Don't feel bad, so am I!

8. We don't mind if you have guests over as long as they abide by the house rules.

9. We also don't mind if you have a 'special friend' over from time to time. However if you want to engage in a living together arrangement you will have to find your own place to do so.

10. I _know_ that this will not be a problem but I feel it does need to be said just so we are _all_ clear on this subject. There will be no usage of illegal drugs tolerated either in the house or on the property by _anyone_. _No exceptions_.

"Any questions, comments, suggestions or criticisms?" Peter said "No, they are all perfectly reasonable and I do understand why you had to mention the drink and drugs parts. I did occasionally have a pint at the pub when I was back home but am not really into the whole 'pub' thing." Katie sighed "Whew! We had discussed whether or not to have 'house rules' and what they should be. We didn't want you to think that we were trying to be your 'parents' or anything like that. The conclusion we came to was that they needed to be established so we _all_ knew where we stood. They are the guidelines we follow ourselves, except that we can drink legally, we just feel it is irresponsible to drive after doing so. As a pilot I always followed the 'Eight hours between bottle and throttle' rule. Well...I can't drink anymore, not until I have these two."

Peter was starting to nod off so he bade us a good night and went upstairs to go to bed. Katie said she was tired to so she went to bed soon after. I sat out on the patio alone for a while, picking up the train of thought that I was engaged in earlier in Matsuko's office-I reached no conclusions and wound up further into the maze so I let it rest and headed to bed myself. I opened the door to find the room lit in soft candlelight and the fragrance of Jasmine and Oranges filled the air...Katie got up out of the chair and softly closed the door and locked it. She turned to me and said "Tonight is for _your_ relaxation and pleasure; all you have to do is say nothing and just _breathe_..."


	66. Chapter 66-Thanks for the feet!

**_Chapter 66: So Long, Sucker, Thanks for the Feet!_**

I didn't really 'wake up'. In order to wake up one has to have slept. I hadn't slept; it felt more like a deep trance than sleep. My mind had been in motion and had traveled far to where there was no doubt, there was no fear. Where all things were possible and the difficult was simple...all my questions had answers, all my problems had solutions. I knew what needed to be done. I felt so calm, so peaceful, so relaxed and rested.

I looked over at Katie. She was sleeping so peacefully...they were sleeping so peacefully. I wanted to kiss her, to touch her but I didn't want to wake her-she needed to sleep. I wondered if she truly knew the effect she had on me last night...it was beyond mere words. I carefully got out of bed so I wouldn't wake her and headed off to the bathroom. I showered, shaved and brushed my teeth then put on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. The dim light of the approaching dawn was creeping in through the windows-it was already shaping up to be another hot and humid day. I wanted to work on some equations and formulas along with a couple of designs while it was quiet and the solutions were still clear. The next time I looked up the morning light was coming through the windows in full force; I returned to tweaking and doubled checking the equations and formulas I had written. The solutions had seemed so elusive and difficult before, now I knew they had been right in front of me all the time and were quite simple and elegant. It reminded me of a quip Claire made one night when she and Jerry were here playing pool with us "See the ball..._Be_ the ball." I was working on some biomechanical/biochemical computer modeling at the cellular and molecular level when I saw a shadow walk by "Good morning, Doctor...errr...Martin! It feels weird to call you that." He walked over to the desk "What are you working on?" I smiled "Good morning, Peter! Pull up a chair and look at it for a moment then tell me what _you_ think it is. Want an espresso?" He pulled Katie's desk chair over "Yes please! May I have a latte, if possible? I need the milk to buffer it." I replied "Come with me before you sit down and I will show you how to operate the machine, that way you will be able to make one for yourself if no one is around." He followed me into the kitchen and I gave him a quick tour of where everything was and how to operate the machine. While he watched me he asked "Where's Katie? Still sleeping?" I replied "Yes. I try to let her sleep as much as possible. She needs the rest. The next few months are going to be difficult for her, she's already becoming frustrated with herself. She can't do many of the things she used to be able to do."

I handed him his latte and I took my espresso and we headed back to the office. He sat down and pondered the model on the computer screen. "Um...it looks like you are doing some form of microstructural analysis of tissue loading patterns. I've only read about this, we didn't actually cover any of this in the courses I've taken so far." I said "A+, Peter! What you are looking at is the beginnings of a new _kind_ of heart valve. This is what we will be working on first, if the technology works then we'll be off to the races." Peter looked at me "May I ask a personal question?" I leaned back, sipped my espresso and replied "Certainly, if it is too personal I will decline to answer it but I will not be angry with you for asking." He took a deep breath "Why didn't you go into R&D when the Haemophobia came on? Your talents were _so wasted_ being a GP in Port Wenn!" I sighed "I was shattered mentally, physically, emotionally and psychologically. When you fly high you hit the ground very hard when you fall, and I fell _hard_! I am not going to go into a detailed analysis of it but suffice it to say that at that time I was incapable of doing so-I was barely functioning. I needed something I could essentially sleepwalk through and a place to hide while I tried to heal myself and pick up the pieces. I thought, at the time, that taking the position as GP for Port Wenn would be a good place to do so. My aunt was there, I knew the area from child hood, I could diagnose and treat minor ailments and injuries in my sleep and no one from my 'old world' would bother me there. It didn't work out quite as I had thought it would, though. It did, however, eventually put me on the right path. Life is strange, Peter, and things happen for a reason though at the time that reason isn't always apparent. I would have _never, ever_ considered moving to America and Texas in particular 10 or 20 years ago. But, as I have found, it is the place I _needed_ to be all along...but I needed to change my attitude towards life and everything else first."

As Peter and I were having that discussion we hadn't noticed that Katie had come downstairs. Peter spotted her first and said "Good morning, Katie!" She walked over to us and said "Good morning, Peter!" then gave me a kiss and said "Good morning, sweetheart! What are you two up to?" I pulled her into my lap, wrapped my arms around her and and kissed her back "Oh, just playing with molecules...How are you feeling today?" She sighed, looked down and patted her belly "At times like this I wish I were a female Emperor Penguin..." I looked at her, somewhat perplexed "Why?" She giggled and pointed at her belly "I could roll these two off on your feet then waddle off to the sashimi bar...'So long, _sucker_, thanks for the feet!' You'd be learning a _whole new meaning_ to the term 'child support'..." then she started laughing. The mental picture of that made me laugh, too. Peter sat there for a moment with a 'doe in the headlights' look on his face then burst out laughing. She gave me a kiss and said "Let me up, sweetie, I'm going to break your legs! What do you two fine gentlemen want for breakfast?" I looked at Peter, he just shrugged and smiled. I let her up and put my hand on her back to steady her as she found her footing "Surprise us!" She stood there for a moment and thought "I've got a hankerin' for 'ze toast ov luv', that sound good? We've got to use up the rest of the Pan Biga anyway." Peter asked what that was and she explained it to him and he decided that it did indeed sound good.

Peter and I continued our discussion while we set the table and made more espresso. Her phone rang and I listened to her side of the conversation while I was chatting with Peter. "Howdy, Claire!...I'm doing OK…I did tell Martin that I wished I was a female Emperor Penguin, though...Because I could roll these two off onto _his_ feet and go have fun! (lots of laughter)...I'm making breakfast…No, right now they're setting the table and talking about the research project...Yes, I _do_ have a thought for the name of the team-how about the "Bitter Pills"? (more laughter)...Matsuko didn't say anything about coaching so I could just sit in the team box and yell at you guys...I know a place where we can design our own jerseys...Really? How many does he have?..I don't know, I'll have to ask them...You can come over and we can talk Hockey and I'll show you how to play a Necro...Well, breakfast is almost ready so I'll call you back and let you know...Talk to you in about a half an hour...yeah...OK...bye!"

She plated our breakfasts up while I poured juice for all and a glass of milk for her. "That was Claire, obviously. She said that Jerry managed to get his hands on some spare tickets for the Rice-LSU game tonight and asked if you two wanted to go have dinner before and then go to the game. Ryan, Karl and Foghorn are going, too. It's a Y chromosome kind of thang-no girls allowed. Well, Pam and Chandra are working and Matsuko is out of town-she took the kids to visit her brother up in Dallas for the weekend. Ryan has to work tomorrow." I put my hand on hers and said "I don't know, what will you do? We're going to be gone all day then go to the game. We won't be back until late. Hate leaving you here all by yourself." She smiled "I won't be, sweetie! Claire is going to come over and I'm going to show her how to play a Necro then we're going to kill stuff for fun and profit along with talking about the hockey team. Maybe call out for a couple of male strippers..." I shot her an eyebrow and an "Oh, no you're not!" look and she laughed and gave me a kiss "Just seeing if you were paying attention, sweetie!" I kissed her and smiled "Evil woman!" then went back to thinking about the question at hand. If nothing else it would give Peter an opportunity to see a game and meet some excellent doctors in a casual setting. We'll probably end up talking shop most of the time. "Do you want to go, Peter?" Peter replied "Sure! I think it would be interesting. It isn't dangerous, is it?" Katie laughed "About the most dangerous thing you will run into is about 20,000 plus Cajuns. Or, even worse, you actually _understand _what they're saying without Foghorn translating and Karl translating what Foghorn is saying. There are no 'football hooligans' here, especially at Rice!" She called Claire and told her that we'd be going. After the call she said "They're going to go out for dinner at Goode Company before the game, meet them there at 5pm."

We helped Katie clean up the kitchen then headed out. Before leaving I told Peter he might want to change into some shorts, it's going to be hot out and he'd be more comfortable in them. We drove over to the hospital and I gave him a tour of the facilities, introduced him to some of the doctors and he met some of my department's interns and residents. One of the residents had an interesting case that had been brought in last night and wanted to ask my advice on it as long as I was there so I went to my office to change into scrubs and lab coat. I may now be able to wear a T-Shirt and pair of shorts in public now but I'm not going to wear them during an exam. I gave Peter a pair of light blues and told him to change into those and we headed back to where Dr. Marsden was. While we were walking back I chuckled internally, Peter's attitude and walk had changed-it was his first set of scrubs. I remembered how that felt...so long ago. Peter said to me quietly "They all try to look busy as you approach, it's funny!" I replied "Black scrubs tend to have that effect on them. Here you can tell who does what by the colors they wear. Only department heads wear black."

As we approached the nurses' station where Dr. Marsden and her interns were I heard the now familiar "Doctor E. is in the howwwwse!" that Claire started and they all picked up on. I thought to myself "Revenge is a dish best served cold and I'll get her back for this one day." I introduced Peter to them then asked Dr. Marsden for the patient's chart and read it. When I had finished we followed Dr. Marsden and the herd of interns to the patient's room. Dr. Marsden introduced me to the patient "Mr. Wilner, this is Dr. Martin Ellingham, the head of Cardiovascular surgery." I walked up to the patient and said "Good morning, Mr. Wilner. How are you feeling today?" He replied "I'm still dizzy and feel as weak as a kitten. My heart has mellowed out, thankfully. Been having some stomach cramps and the 'Hershey squirts', too." I flipped through the chart again and said "If I may, I would like to perform a physical examination of you." He said "Go for it! Everyone else has poked and prodded me this morning. You might as well get in on the fun." I conducted the examination, while listening to his heart I noted a faint clicking noise. I looked at his blood pressure, it was low. I checked the cart again then said "According to your history you are currently being treated for minor intermittent claudication and your Doctor has prescribed pentoxifylline and statins to treat it. Are you taking any other medications that you did not list when admitted?" He said "I take vitamins and some dietary supplements, but those aren't drugs." I looked at him and said "Many dietary supplements have adverse reactions when taken in conjunction with prescription medication. What are the supplements that you are taking?" He listed them off, there were a _lot_ of them. When he hit Pycnogenol, Arginine and Yohimbe I said "That explains it." He looked at me and said "Explains what?" I replied "Pycnogenol, L-Arginine and Yohimbe taken in conjunction with your prescription medications can contribute to thinning of the blood and low blood pressure which brings on the dizziness, nausea, fainting and palpations. Some of the side effects of them are bloating, abdominal cramping, diarrhea. That, in and of itself, can be easily cured by stopping taking them. What I am most concerned about is the slight clicking noise I heard when checking you your heart. That may be indicative of Mitral Valve Prolapse. MVP is easily missed by either not having any symptoms of it at all or the symptoms are masked by other conditions. I also suspect that the minor intermittent claudication you are being treated for is actually microvascular angina. This condition is also easily missed or misdiagnosed." I turned to Dr. Marsden and said "Run a shotgun on him and let me know the results." Mr. Wilner said "Shotgun?" I turned towards him and smiled "Sorry, that is a slang term here for asking that a full battery of diagnostic tests be run to determine if you indeed have those conditions. If you have no further questions I will be on my way, I have some tasks that I need to complete." He said "Nope, I'm good!" I wished him a good day then walked out followed by Peter, Dr. Marsden and the herd of interns.

When we reached the nurses' station I said "He's a damned fool!" Dr. Marsden looked at me quizzically "What do you mean?" I replied "The combination of Pycnogenol, L-Arginine and Yohimbe in the doses he said he takes is essentially a 'do it yourself' substitute for Viagra. He will tell you that he takes it to help with his claudication and angina but that's just his cover story-the combination of supplements and the doses he consumes speak for themselves. I am going to guess that he tried to get Viagra from his doctor and his request was denied due to his overall medical condition. So, instead of listening to his doctor, he went trolling around on the internet for a 'healthy, herbal' substitute. Anyway, I must be getting on with what I have to do today. Run the tests and send me a copy." Dr. Marsden replied "Will do. How's Katie doing, by the way? It's been a while since she's 'cookie bombed' us so we were getting a bit concerned...along with going through withdrawal symptoms. She makes the _best_ oatmeal cookies-I like the apples pieces she uses in them instead of raisins! It's like a midget apple crisp." I smiled "She's been tired but is getting better. We've just been busy lately. I'll let her know that she has many 'cookie junkies' suffering from withdrawal symptoms." Dr. Marsden said "I know you two have to get going. It was nice meeting you Peter and I look forward to seeing you around here!" He replied "It was nice meeting all of you! See you later!" With that we headed for the lift, as we walked I heard one of the interns say sotto voce "That guy with Dr. Ellingham is really cute!" I thought to myself that Peter better watch out, that particular intern has _quite_ the reputation around the hospital from what Claire has told me. I wondered if I should give Peter a lecture on the dangers of the siren song of the terminally horny intern. Nah...He's an adult; let him figure it out for himself.

We changed back into our street clothes and headed over to the BRC where my lab was located. I double checked the inventory and that everything was installed and set up properly while Peter wandered around like a kid in a candy store. After I signed off on the lab I gave him a tour of the rest of the facility. I explained that the 'C' did not stand for 'center'; it stood for 'collaborative'. It was designed to facilitate and encourage interdisciplinary interactions between researchers from many different institutions. Just about every institution in TMC was conducting research here, so was NASA. "One of the things I like about working here at Methodist and TMC is that they have embraced the idea that instead of working in tight cliques we should collaborate to achieve a common goal. I've always thought that is how it should be done but generally you do not find that kind of attitude in most places. There is too much ego, arrogance and snobbery involved for many to comfortably work together. This is not to say that it doesn't go on here-it does, but it is uncommon in comparison to other places. For example, if I had taken the position at Imperial, or any other institution, I probably would not be allowed to do the work I plan on doing here. All they would see me as is a surgeon, nothing more. Their attitude would be 'Leave the research to those who are 'qualified' to do it and they will leave the surgery to you.' All innovation starts with an idea and ideas are encouraged here."

From there we walked around the campus of the university so he could learn where everything is. I told him that once it started cooling down I'll generally walk to work, unless I need the car for something. It's about two miles from the house to the hospital, a mile and a half to the campus. The route I take is mostly residential with two major streets to cross, the last half mile is through the campus. He laughed "It doesn't seem like anyone walks here! They all drive." I replied "When it's hot most do avoid walking when they can, and everyone avoids walking along the main thoroughfares if they can help it. I will be the first to admit that this is not one of the best cities to walk in but the side streets aren't bad, they're tree lined so you're in the shade most of the time and some of the houses and landscaping are interesting." I looked at my watch and said "We should go back. It's getting close to the time we have to meet everyone for dinner." As we walked back I told him about the people we were going to be with this evening. He asked me about American Football and I told him truthfully that I really didn't have a clue, I had never attended a game before but the people we would be with did and would be happy to explain it to us. I called home to see how Katie was doing, Claire answered the phone and that triggered alarm bells in my mind. "Where's Katie, Claire?" Claire replied "Don't worry, jefe! There's nothing wrong, she just had to go to the bathroom. You want to hang on or you want me to have her call you back?" I relaxed "I'll call her back. I just wanted to see what you two were up to and if everything was alright-when you two get together all sorts of mayhem ensues. By the way, Dr. Marsden may have a case of MVP on her hands. She asked me for a consultation while I was giving Peter the tour. Patient's name is Wilner." She replied "OK, I'll look into it. You two better get going or you'll be late. I'll tell her you called." "Thank you and talk to you later, Claire." With that we got in the car to head off to have an archetypal Texas Saturday night of barbecue and college football.


	67. Chapter 67-Geaux Tigers!

**_Chapter 67: Geaux Tigers!_**

Surprisingly we managed to find a parking space straightaway. As we walked towards the restaurant I saw our group sitting at one of the tables outside and we headed towards them. Foghorn spotted us first and waved us over-you couldn't miss him in his 'Geaux Tigers' T-Shirt and LSU hat "About time y'all showed up! It's been hard sitting here, the smell has my stomach growlin'!" I introduced Peter to everyone then we headed inside to get our food. Peter asked what the best thing to get was and Karl said "Everything is good here, just pick what you want." Jerry added "For a first timer I suggest the brisket or chicken and ribs, tell them to put the sauce on the side. For side dishes I'd suggest the potato salad and cole slaw, they mellow out the spiciness of the meat, sauce and the jalapenos in the bread." Peter asked me what I was getting "Haven't decided yet, probably brisket and ribs." Foghorn grabbed a Shiner out of the cooler "You'll learn, son, that barbecue is a hotly contested topic here in the states. Each region has its own style based on the woods available, the meats available and the cuisines of the natives. Here in Texas its mesquite, beef, sausage and jalapenos in _everything_-a Tex-Mex, Czech and German influence. Louisiana has hickory, beef, pork and shrimp and cayenne, Tony's and Tabasco-a Cajun and Creole influence. Farther north you have Kansas City, St. Louis and Memphis style barbecue-hickory wood, mostly pork and pork ribs with sweet, tomato based sauces. In Kentucky they use mutton cooked over sassafras with a worcestershire sauce based 'dip'-they're a buncha inbreds. Their daddies _all_ married their sisters up there…The Carolinas is all pork, mustard or vinegar-They don't count, they're a bunch of damn Yankees at heart. Up in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska they have their own version of barbecue that matches the climate and food available-it's all fish and they plank it on alder or cedar. The Yankee states, California and the rest don't barbecue-they _'grill'_…heathens. Charlie don't surf and Yankees don't barbecue." Peter looked confused and I just shrugged and said sotto voce "Don't worry; you'll eventually understand what he's saying. Just nod from time to time until you do."

We went outside to eat and talked while we did so. Karl asked Peter how he came to know me. "He became our village GP after Doc Jim died. I always liked reading and learning about medicine in particular and was a bit of an outsider. My mum ran the local chippy and my dad left when I was a baby. I didn't have many friends. Neither did Doc Martin..errr…Dr. Ellingham. The village is an isolated place with a finely honed snobbery all its own-outsiders _always_ remain outsiders no matter how long they live there. The villagers saw Dr. Ellingham as little more than an arrogant, high society, Winchester and Oxford educated 'tosser' with a posh accent from London and were angry that he actually _practiced_ medicine instead of just handing out prescriptions from his 'office' in the local pub like Doc Jim did. They hated him except for a few that just disliked him. There were four people who liked him, for different reasons-his Auntie Joan, the headmistress of the school and my teacher Ms. Glasson, another teacher named Roger Fenn and me. His Auntie Joan couldn't have children so viewed him as a surrogate son. Roger hated him initially but grew to like him after the Doc saved his voice. He had a tumor that Doc Jim never realized was there-of course Doc Jim never looked, he just gave him a prescription for some pills. Roger is intelligent and rather misunderstood himself. Ms. Glasson, well…um…you might know her as Louisa and you can figure out that one on your own. I liked him because he was smart, treated me with respect, didn't lie to me like most adults do to children and didn't back down to try to ingratiate himself with the villagers. I saw a lot of me in him and I guess at the time he first arrived in the village I was sort of looking for a surrogate father. He became my hero after he saved my life."

Ryan asked "How did he do that?" Peter replied "I hated gym class and wanted to go to the library but Ms. Glasson wouldn't let me. We were playing a climbing and balance game on an obstacle course that was a version of tag called 'fall into the sea' where if you were tagged by the person who was 'it' or fell off onto the mat on the ground, or as it was called 'into the sea', you became 'it'. I was tripped by the kid who was 'it' and hit my chest hard on a bench. When the Doc…errr… Dr. Ellingham came to examine me he was already in a bad mood, it didn't help that Ms. Glasson became argumentative with him and I was being a bit of a show off trying to impress him with my 'vast knowledge' of medicine. He told her to take me to the hospital for some tests and the doctor there confirmed _my_ 'initial diagnosis' of an intercostal sprain. Ms. Glasson took me home and on the way back we learned why he was in such a bad mood-someone had told people about the Doc's Haemophobia and Burt and a bunch of people pulled a nasty prank on him earlier in the morning at the pub. When I heard that I felt really bad for him for it explained why someone like him became our GP-he couldn't be a surgeon anymore. Later on that night I started to feel really sick and my mum started to panic-she would have bad panic attacks. My mum was able to call Ms. Glasson before she passed out and Ms. Glasson called Dr. Ellingham. He diagnosed me as having a ruptured spleen and called for the air ambulance to take me to Truro, it was broken so I had to go in a regular one."

"During the ride to the hospital he didn't lie to me when I asked what was wrong, shortly after I started to bleed out and lost consciousness. I was told later that he operated on me right there in a speeding ambulance and clamped the splenic artery shut with his hand, the forceps broke. He held it shut for a half an hour until we got to Truro despite being ill from the sight and smell of the blood. My mum said that he was covered in blood when we got to the hospital. After that incident the villagers started to respect him in their own way and he became my hero-not only for saving my life but the sheer willpower and bravery it took for him to do so and 'keep it together' despite his 'fear'. Only someone with an exceptionally strong mind and dedication to duty could have done that." Karl shook his head "You ever thought of branching out into trauma surgery, Martin? You'd be _excellent_ at it. You could probably just sit for the exam and be SCC certified; you would meet or exceed their requirements in practical experience. If you passed the exam I'd nominate you for a fellowship in AAST and I'm sure getting two seconds would be no problem. The only problem I can see is that they'd run out of room to stitch another fellowship on your lab coat and engrave on the plaque outside your office!" Everyone laughed and I said "If I have anything more stitched on my coat I'll start to list to port! Seriously, I'll consider it…it's one more thing to be certified in." Foghorn looked at his watch "We'd better get going, don't want to be late to watch the Tigers kick the tar and feathers out of the Owls!" On the way to the parking lot Jerry asked "You want to drop your car off at home and hitch a ride with us? It isn't that far out of the way and it'd save on that purdy paint job! That thing must cost more than a $1.98 to repaint." I thought it would be a good idea; I could quick run in and check on Katie while I was there "Sure, sounds good!"

Peter rode with the others and they followed me home. I pulled the car into the garage and went into the house. Claire and Katie were eating pizza and watching "The Philadelphia Story". I was surprised because Katie was wearing shorts, usually she hides the scars from everyone but me and Matsuko. Claire waved; her mouth was full of pizza (thankfully)! Katie looked at me, concerned "What are you doing home? Is something wrong?" I said "Hello, Claire!" and gave Katie a quick kiss "No, nothing is wrong. We decided to all ride together to the game so I was just dropping the car off. Besides, I had to make sure there were no male strippers here peeling grapes for you two…" She laughed and whispered in my ear "Why should I hire someone when I know I'll get a free show later!" I started to blush and Claire started laughing "Whispering in his ear again…I know what that leads to…you keep that up and I'll have to hose you two down…again!" I shot her an eyebrow and said "In that case I'd better get going, they're waiting for me. I'll lock the door behind me." and headed for the door. Katie called out "I'll leave a light on for you if I go to bed before you get back."

Relieved that she seemed to be doing well and enjoying herself I got into Jerry's truck. Jerry asked what they were doing, I replied "Eating pizza and watching a movie, though I suspect they're plotting something." Jerry laughed "Aren't they always? Individually they are formidable women; together they're downright scary at times!" Foghorn piped up "When in the _hell_ are you going to make an honest woman of Claire? You two been shacking up as long as I've known you." Jerry smiled and said "I'm going to ask her when we go to Hawaii next month. I just don't know if I should buy a ring first or let her pick out her own." Ryan said "Do what Martin did, buy her a 'pebble' and let her pick out or design a setting for it. You'll have all the bases covered that way-a bright, shiny object to give her right away and she gets what she wants." Jerry said "That might work, she's so darned picky at times. I know she likes Katie's ring, where'd you get that, Martin?" I replied "I had my jeweler in London design it, I can give you his information if you like.." I pulled out my wallet, got his card out and handed it up to Jerry "Here is his business card." Jerry put it in his pocket "Thanks, I'll write the info down and return the card." "No need to return it, Jerry. I've been doing business with him for decades; I know where he's at. On the card is a URL for his website, you can see some of his work on there. He does bespoke jewelry only, he doesn't have a store."

By the time we got into the stadium and found our seats the game had already started. The Americans in our group began 'edumacating us heathens' in the fundamentals in the game, in between Foghorn cheering "Geaux Tigers!" every time LSU did something good or scored. Karl explained to Peter that the rest of the party 'didn't have a dog in this fight'-Karl had gone to the University of Texas, Jerry had gone to Texas A&M, Ryan had gone to Harvard "Their dog is a Toy Poodle" and "Martin went to Oxford, they don't even _know_ what a dog is there." Karl and Jerry explained the rivalry between their schools and demonstrated the hand signs associated with their teams with Jerry adding "Harvard and Oxford have the same hand sign..." He pointed his pinkie and mimed sipping tea. We all laughed and Ryan said "We _do_ have one 'hand sign' for people like you- it also uses just one finger, but it isn't the pinkie!" Foghorn asked "Where'd you go to school, Peter?" Peter replied "I took most of my preliminary courses via the Open University while I was in secondary school, I finished my degree off in one year at University of Bristol." Foghorn laughed "You're a glutton for punishment, aintcha boy! You're gonna have to be to keep up with your new boss. We've _seen_ what he's got planned, you haven't! By the way, which college did you get assigned to here?" Peter hesitated a bit before answering "Sid Richardson College. From what I gather it has a rather _interesting_ reputation…" They all laughed and Jerry said "You aren't kidding! You'll love it! They're all crazy there; just wait until you go on your first Orc raid!" Foghorn looked at me and laughed "It ain't Balliol, that's for sure!"

Halftime came and the LSU band did their usual performance, so did the MOB. I had heard about the MOB and their halftime performances but wasn't quite prepared for it. It was strange, it was bizarre, it was pretty funny! Peter was laughing and said "That looks like fun! Wish I played an instrument…" Karl told him "You don't have to, they have 'band assistants' that do all the prop work. My wife was one when she went to school here. She was a 'Sidizen', too." While Karl was explaining it to Peter Foghorn pulled me aside "You're going to let him participate in school life if he wants? That kid has busted his butt to get where he is; he needs a bit of fun." I replied "No, I don't have a problem with it and have already factored it in-he needs to socialize with people his own age. I agree with you, he has had a hard life and has worked very hard to achieve. The first year of the project will be slow going anyway-mostly theoretical modeling and experimentation. The hard work begins when we start building it and applying the technology to other areas. Though I think I had a bit of a breakthrough this morning, I just have to tinker with it a bit…" Foghorn placed a hand on my shoulder "It's a good thing you are doing for that boy."

During the second half Don and his friend Jimmy Larkin stopped by and sat with us. "It was getting boring sitting with the high and mighty so we decided to come down and slum it with you guys. It's a nice night and it's more fun sitting out here in the stands!" I introduced Peter to Don and Jimmy; Don said as he shook Peter's hand "Ah, you are Martin's young protégé! I look forward to working with you." The game was an absolute blowout, Foghorn quipped "The Owls might as well line up backwards, make it easier for them to get run over." Sometime during the fourth quarter Don said "Well, this is getting downright embarrassing for the Owls. You guys want to come over to my place and have a scotch or two by the pool?" We all discussed it and decided to head over to Don's.

It was a nice night to sit out by the pool, sip some scotch and talk. We talked about how Jerry should pop the question to Claire, generic hospital gossip, our wives and families, world events, economics and investment strategies, good places to go to on holiday, etc. I was asked if we had names chosen for the twins and said "Currently we're leaning towards either William or Michael for the boy, Anne or Rose for the girl-but that changes just about every week. William was the name of the first of the Ellingham surgeons, the one that sailed with Drake. We chose Michael for no particular reason at all-it just sounded the nicest of the current bunch. I suggested Anne because Katie's mother was named Anne, or so I thought. She told me that her name wasn't Anne, it was Anastasia Lucia. She was just called Annie or Anne. Rose is Katie's middle name." Jimmy chuckled "You better figure it out soon so you can get their names down at the schools you want to send them to." I replied "We haven't discussed that yet. Personally, I don't know if I would want them to go to boarding school. I hated it." Jimmy replied "I suspect you would want them to attend Oxford. I can't see a child of yours going to a school like the University of Washington like Katie did, not that there's anything wrong with U Dub." That triggered a memory. The one I had on the boat about the young American woman in the pub that one night which sparked the argument that led to me breaking off our engagement and dumping Edith unceremoniously at the Bodmin Parkway station at 3am. There was _no way_ I was going to marry that spiteful bitch, especially after she told me about the abortion…I had forgotten to ask Katie about that, it _had_ to be her but I still wasn't sure. Or I was afraid to find out that it really _was_ her. It would be just _too much _of a coincidence if it was, the odds were _astronomical_.

I felt a hand shake my shoulder _hard_ "Hello? You in there, Martin?" I came back from that memory to see everyone looking at me. Foghorn said "You just stopped dead in mid conversation. We thought something was wrong with you." I replied, still halfway in that memory "No…Something Jimmy said triggered a very old, and very strange, memory." Don said "Must've been a real good one for you to just freeze up like that." I shook my head "No…most of it was _horrible_, which is why I buried it. The 'very strange' part that is associated with it was something that seemed _totally insignificant_ until a couple of months ago." Don sat back in his chair and said "It must be a whopper to make you totally freeze up for a couple of minutes. We were becoming concerned…" I shook my head again "It _is_…I will have to ask her to confirm it but if the memory is correct I met Katie once before…in Port Wenn…about twenty four years ago. Well, I didn't meet her per se-she was in the same pub as I was, not more than 10 feet away from me." Ryan let out a low whistle "Whoa! What are the odds on that happening? You _gotta_ tell us this one if it isn't too personal." I collected my thoughts and told a truncated version of the story, leaving out all the things that happened on the boat that night between Katie and me that triggered it originally and the majority of what transpired between Edith and I on the night in question so long ago. When I finished I took a sip of scotch and looked at them. Karl said "You gotta ask her, it's like something out of the 'Twilight Zone'." Jimmy added "Just think, one little decision on your part that night long ago could have changed both of your lives." I replied "I doubt it; we were _very_ different people then. We probably wouldn't have liked each other. Sure, I was attracted to her, but so was _every other guy_ in there. I don't really know if she even really noticed me outside of being the blond haired guy arguing with a blond haired woman who went storming out of the pub with me following her." Don said "Martin, it is fairly obvious to all of us that you two were always meant to be. I knew it that night of the ice storm which is why I told you 'Don't screw it up!' when I left." I stood up, drank the rest of my scotch and said "I'm going to walk home and ask her right now. It's going to bother me all night if I don't." Don said "We'll make sure Peter gets home OK, you go and find out." I nodded and said good night to all then headed home.

I opened the door to the house and found that the light was on like she said it would be. I ran up the stairs and went into the bedroom. She was hugging my pillow, sound asleep. I debated in my mind as to whether or not I should wake her, I decided that I would because there was no way I would be able to sleep if I didn't ask her. I took off my clothes and slid into bed next to her and gently shook her until her eyes opened sleepily. "Mmmm….hi, sweetheart…_someone's_ had some scotch tonight….did you have a good time…What's _wrong_?" I kissed her "I'm sorry to have woken you up but I must ask you a question or two." That woke her up; she gave me my pillow and adjusted herself so she was facing me. "Oh, god! What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost or something." I stroked her hair "Possibly…I have to ask you if you had ever been in Port Wenn before I took you with me to get James?" She caressed my chest and thought "Yes. It was long ago, though. I had totally forgotten about it, I was only there for a day. It was the summer of my freshman year in college. My dad had died so I didn't have to work that summer for him so I decided to go see some of the world. I spent the summer roaming around Britain." I put my hand on her arm "What do you remember of your day there?" She replied "It took me a while to find it so I arrived late, about 7-8pm. I went to the pub and asked if they had a room, they did. I rented it and went upstairs to put my luggage down and wash up. I went back downstairs and had something to eat and a couple beers, talked with the locals and played a game or two of pool, then went to bed. The next day I wandered around the village and the cliffs. I took a lot of pictures and left in the afternoon for Tintagel. Why?" I sighed "What do you remember about the pub?" She closed her eyes and thought for a moment "It was a nice pub and the people were friendly, especially the guys. I remember there was this couple at a table in the corner having a not-so-quiet argument. I could hear some of it, that woman was being a real nasty bitch to that poor guy! I ordered some food and a beer and stood at the bar while it was being prepared. Some of the guys started to chat me up, while they were doing so the woman at the table got up and stomped out of the pub. I remember looking at that poor guy; he looked so embarrassed, hurt and angry. I wanted to go tell him he was much better off without the wicked bitch of the west but he…got…up…and…Was that _you_ ?" I hugged her "Yes, it was." I then proceeded to tell her my side of the story-including _everything_ that occurred between Edith and me. "I was reminded of it that night on the boat when you told me about what happened to you after the fire. I thought that might have been you but what were the odds on that? Quite frankly you weren't the only one who was 'freaked out' that night! I was going to ask you the next morning but other things got in the way and I forgot. Until tonight." She snuggled up to me "Wow…it's all too weird! If I had thought about walking over to you 30 seconds earlier life may have been different for both of us." I caressed her "If I had the guts to just let Edith go and gone up to talk to you like I wanted…Do you think we would've liked each other? We were both very different people then." She took my hand and placed it on her belly, one of the twins was moving around "We were different but we were the same people we are now inside, just in a younger wrapper. I think we would've hit it off. I did feel attracted to you but you left so quickly." I kissed her forehead "I think we would've too. Maybe that's why we had the dreams, we missed our shot twenty four years ago and _something or someone_ was giving us a kick in the ass." She was silent for a moment then said "Could be…who knows…I certainly don't. I _do_ know one thing, though." I said "What's that?" She giggled and put her hand on top of mine on her belly "We'd probably have had six of these-me being a good catholic girl and all…they'd all be grumpy, surly teenagers or in college by now."


	68. Chapter 68-Driving Miss Katie

**_Chapter 68: Driving Miss Katie_**

Almost a year ago I was packing my bags to go on a journey to the unknown. Now the unknown is familiar and I am packing to go on a journey back. I'm not going back to Port Wenn, I am going to spend a day or two in London before returning to Houston with James. Due to the differences in the dates of the midterm breaks in Cornwall and Stephan and Louisa's school in Worcestershire Chris and Jenny will be in London with their youngest child visiting her parents before James starts his holiday; so I am going to stay in London and have a catch up with them and Robert and Fiona. Saturday morning Louisa, Stephan and their family will come down to London to have a bit of a holiday and drop off James. We'll spend a couple hours together catching up and then James and I will leave in the late afternoon for Heathrow then on to Houston. I booked the Park Suite at the Dorchester for a week and told Louisa and Stephan that, if they wanted to, they could stay there after James and I left for five days all expenses paid. It would be a splendid holiday for them, very comfortable and enjoyable for Louisa who is now almost eight months pregnant which will make life _much_ easier for Stephan. It has three bedrooms so there would be plenty of room for the children.

When I talked to him last month he said that Louisa was having a hard go of it and was 'a bit cross'. I told him that I understood (boy, did I **_ever_**! Been there, done that!) and suggested it to him. He was shocked that I would do something like that for them but said he would love it just because he knew it would make Louisa and the children happy. I told him it was my pleasure and I was not doing it for Louisa, I was doing it for _him_ "Look, Stephan…I _know_ how Louisa can get and you are sounding a bit shell shocked and shaky right now. Something like this will go a very long way to make your life easier for a few days-basically giving _you_ a holiday more than anything else. Louisa will be comfortable and pampered, the children amused and distracted. It's centrally located so there won't be any long journeys to most of the places you might wish to go." Stephan replied "You are a good man, Martin! I don't know how I'd ever be able to repay you..." I said "You already have. I know how things go in the kind of situation we all have found ourselves in. Both you and Louisa could have made it exceptionally difficult for me to keep _any form_ of relationship with my son. Instead, as James puts it, 'I'm the luckiest boy in the world-I have two mummies and two daddies who love me! Some of my friends don't even have a mummy or a daddy…they ran away.' That means the world to me. I know my son is happy and he loves me. More importantly, he views all that has transpired between the adults and all the other things going on in his life not as a detriment but as a positive thing. It may not be the old fashioned ideal for a happy family and happy children but for the 21st century it isn't bad. You understand that as well as I do." Stephan's voice became a bit sad sounding "Yes I do. As teachers we see the wreckage divorce can cause in children's lives. We deal with it every day."

Katie had come home a couple of minutes ago from running errands. She came into the bedroom carrying the dry cleaning, hung it up in the closet then gave me a big hug and a long kiss. "I'm going to miss you, it's going to be the longest time we've ever been apart. I guess I'm just going to have to be content with cuddling your pillow at night…" I cuddled her and sighed "I'll miss you too! I wish you could come with me…" She started to unbutton my shirt, leaving a trail of kisses as she went "One for the road?" I started nibbling on her neck and whispered "Leave the driving to me…" she let out a soft moan then giggled "Driving Miss Katie…oooh!" It was a pleasurably exciting ride and we reached our mutual destination _quite_ satisfactorily. I lay down next to her and we cuddled, both of us still panting and coated in sweat. She giggled and said "You're still the E-Ticket!" All I could do was smile and say "WOW!" Matsuko had told me in one of our private "I give these chats to all fathers-to-be." talks "You know your wife is being flooded with hormones right now. It depends on the individual woman's personality and what is going on inside her physically, psychologically and emotionally that determines which 'hormone fairies' show up. From what both of you have told me you have gotten _very lucky_ from a male perspective with the combination of fairies that have shown up. Right now it sounds like she is being beaten over the head by the 'horny fairy'. Some men become rather alarmed by this because it is something they have never experienced and never expected. My recommendation is to get inventive and _enjoy the ride_, just as long as you two are careful."

We took a quick shower with a friend and headed off to the airport. She pulled up to the terminal and I took my luggage out of the back of the wagon, set it down and we hugged each other and kissed. We caressed each other "I love you, Katie! Be careful driving home and I'll see you in a couple of days." "I love you, sweetheart! Have a good time and say hello to everyone for me. I'm going to miss you _so much_! I'd better go, the nice policeman is giving us the 'this isn't a parking lot' look." We shared a quick kiss then I picked my luggage up and she got into the car, waved and drove off. I went into the terminal, checked in, went through the security and headed off to the lounge. I had an hour or so to kill so I got my tablet out and caught up on emails and the news of the day until my flight was called. I settled into my seat onboard and soon thereafter we were rolling down they runway and into the air.

I always do a lot of thinking while flying, probably because there isn't that much else to do. I thought about how different my life is now then it was one short year ago. Where had the time gone! Almost a year to the day I was flying across the Atlantic, except it was on a private jet and on that flight I was debating whether or not I was doing the right thing by seeking to leave the UK. Tonight I was thinking that it had been the right thing in ways I couldn't possibly imagine a year ago. A year ago I had little outside of my son to live for, if anyone would call my life at the time 'living'. Today I have everything to live for and I actually have a 'life'. Over the last year I have a found a job I love and am respected for, found and married the woman that is my soul mate and share a love with her that is passionate and profound, have friends who I enjoy being with and enjoy doing things with, I've travelled around the world, sailed a boat across the open ocean to paradise. Learned how to fly a kite, scuba dive, kitesurf and to fish-I will be learning how to fly once the Otter is refurbished. I have been told by those who have known me for a long time that I have changed physically. I know I have lost weight and put on some muscle but they tell me that my face is different-I look younger and some of the lines are starting to fade. I smile more and actually laugh and 'get' jokes now. I am now doing all the things that I told Don I wanted to do a year ago. To top it off soon I will be a father again!

My train of thought shifted to those two children who are, by now, sleeping with their mother. I thought of her, cuddling my pillow while she slept. What will they be like? What will our family be like? This, I feel, is the first time I will _truly_ have a family. What I was born into was not a family. My parents didn't love me and didn't want me. I was little more than a very inconvenient 'something' they were pressured into producing to keep the line going and inherit the money associated with doing so. I can't remember one happy occasion with them, every memory of it is filled with pain, isolation and rejection. Louisa and I tried hard to have a family and for a short time we did, then the bickering and arguing started again and everything fell apart. What Katie and I have is so different than anything I've experienced before; it is the way it is supposed to be. We love each other deeply, we enjoy being together, we work together well, we have similar tastes and the most important thing of all is that we trust each other implicitly. I took off my wedding band and read the inscription in it:

_'Ae ú-esteliach nad, estelio han. Estelio ammen'_

_If you trust nothing else, trust this. Trust us._ I put the ring back on and thought about it for a long time. I realized a simple truth. No relationship will stand the test of time without trust. You can love someone but if you do not totally trust them eventually the relationship will fail. She was right in what she told James that day-"You will find as you grow up that to love someone is relatively easy-love comes and goes like a breeze on a summer's day. To trust someone _completely_ comes very hard because you are placing everything that **_is_** you, _including your life and your deepest secrets_, in the other person's hands." To be able to trust the person you are with is the true food that love needs to grow to its full potential-it nourishes it and makes it grow stronger and the roots go deeper. Love is the attraction that brings two people together; trust is the bond that keeps them together forever. Love without trust is a 'relationship', love and trust is a marriage. In retrospect I thought what Edith and I had was love, but never having experienced it before in my life I didn't understand what love was. It certainly wasn't _that_ as I now know. I loved Louisa deeply, but never truly trusted her-I had to watch what I said or did or she would turn on me and lash out. I love Katie and I trust her.

The hours had passed quickly being lost in my thoughts. Light was filtering into the window and the green and pleasant land of England was rolling by below. I turned on my phone and checked for messages, there was one from Katie. "Got home OK. Miss you terribly, so do the twins. Hard to sleep without you. Cuddling pillow not working. I love you so much!" I smiled, not because she was having a hard time sleeping without me but because I understood how she felt. I missed having her here with me and I suspect that I will have a hard time sleeping, too. We were running slightly ahead of schedule (for once!) so I made sure everything was accounted for and put back where it belonged and had my passport and papers at the ready. There was no delay in landing (for once!) and 90 minutes later I was in my suite taking a shower. I wasn't tired so I put on a suit and went out for a walk. I called Chris to see what he and Jenny were up to. He was visiting Robert over at Imperial while Jenny and their youngest daughter Lily were out shopping. He said "Come on by and we'll go have lunch. It'll be great to see you!" I crossed the street and walked through Hyde Park to get there. Hyde Park was looking pleasantly autumnal and the weather was clear, crisp and cool. It felt good to walk after being cooped up on a plane for ten hours. I walked into St. Mary's and checked in with reception and security, put on my 'game face' then headed towards Robert's office. I could feel the eyes boring into my back as I passed, as Don would say "Your reputation precedes you" and the people here knew me well enough to know that they do _not_ hinder me unless they have a _damned good reason_ to do so. I heard the whispers..."What's _he_ doing here? I thought he moved to Texas." "_Oh, gawd!_ I hope he isn't coming back!" "That's Ellingham? I didn't recognize him at first." along with the ever popular "_Tosser!_" I kept my game face on but inwardly I was smiling. Their reactions confirmed my thoughts a year ago that it would be pointless to look for a job in London unless I wanted to put up with the abuse and backstabbing that went on here.

I walked into Robert's office and his secretary Mary greeted me "Good morning, Mr. Ellingham! Please go through, they're waiting for you." I walked in and Chris and Robert stood up to greet me, we shook hands and Robert said "Pull up a chair and sit down. My god, it's good to see you! How's Katie?" I sat down next to Chris "She's doing well all things considered-both she and the twins are healthy and well. She told me the other day that they're learning anatomy from the inside when they aren't swimming laps or kickboxing." Both men laughed and Chris said "Sounds like she's keeping her spirits up! How are you doing, my friend?" I replied "Busy. I started my research project last month and that is going as planned. I expected some problems with initial design but they are working out. I have a department to run but Claire...Dr. Smith...oversees most of the day to day operation of it, though I do occasionally go on rounds with them and assist on interns first solo procedures. I also do a couple procedures a week, more if my skills are required for it or the situation demands it. I added another certification last month-I'm now a board certified trauma surgeon." Chris let out a low whistle "I'd say you're keeping busy...I meant how are _you_ doing? You look great, lost some weight and put on some muscle, tanned. Seems life in Texas is treating you well." I thought for a moment "Yes, life is treating me very well. The only worry I have at the moment is a hockey team called the 'Cereal Killers'. They both looked at me, perplexed "Claire and Katie plan on starting a hospital Ice Hockey team after she has the twins. It seems that my wife is a very good goaltender and, from what everyone tells me, that is rare to find. I'm not exactly enamored with the idea of my wife putting on 40 pounds of padding and having frozen pieces of rubber flying at her at 70 miles an hour. She really wants to play...we'll see..." The expressions on their faces were priceless; they didn't know what to say. Robert finally spoke "I literally don't know what to say about that. She is one of the most unusual and unique women I have ever met. She has no fear." Chris just shook his head and laughed.

We sat there and talked for a while then I heard a familiar, and unwelcome, voice in the outer office. "Is Robert in?" I heard Mary reply "Yes, Ms. Montgomery, he is in a meeting..." Edith said pompously "I'll be just a minute." Moments later she walked into the office and stopped, we all looked at her like a viper thrown into our midst. "Robert, I wanted to talk to you about...Ellingham! What are you doing here? I thought you were in Texas." I replied icily "Edith...I'm here for a few days to pick up my son then heading back." She said with hint of a smirk on her face "Bring the little wife with you? I'd guess not, I hear she is pregnant." Robert said with a tone of command and impatience "What do you _want_, Ms. Montgomery? You are interrupting our meeting." Edith said dismissingly "Meeting? You three are just having a catch up." He stood up "In fact we were just leaving for lunch, whatever it is will have to wait until I get back. Now, if you will excuse us..." We picked up on his cue and walked past her and out of the office. Once outside and on our way to the restaurant Chris looked behind to see if she was following us "If anything she has gotten even more rude, arrogant and unpleasant. I'm glad she isn't working in Truro anymore. It makes my life easier." Robert sighed "And my life harder. She is talented but is a right pain in the arse. Honestly, I never understood what you saw in her, Martin." I glanced over my shoulder "Neither do I."

We had a pleasant lunch and agreed to meet for dinner that night. Robert had to get back to work and Chris had to meet up with his wife and daughter so we went our separate ways. I walked lunch off on the way back to the hotel and by the time I got there was feeling rather sleepy. When I reached my room I took my suit off and hung it up and changed into my pajamas, looking forward to a nice nap. Just as I was getting into bed there was a knock on the door, it was probably the maid with the extra towels I'd requested. I put my robe on and went to answer it. I opened the door and exclaimed "Edith, what are you doing here?"


	69. Chapter 69-Have a Nice Day!

**_Chapter 69: Have a Nice Day!_**

"I thought it might be nice to have a catch up." She said as she barged through the door. "Get **_OUT_** **_NOW_** or I will call security and have you _thrown out!"_ She looked around the room "Very posh, you must be doing _quite well_…" she walked over to the windows "Nice view of the park…" I walked over to the house phone and dialed security and asked for someone to be sent up to remove her. "Edith, we have absolutely _nothing_ to catch up on. I want _nothing_ to do with you! Can't you get that through your head? Security is on its way up here-you can either leave now and avoid a scene or suffer the consequences." My personal phone rang, it was Katie. _Oh god, what a_ _mess!_ "Hello, sweetheart…" Edith said quite loudly with a smirk on her face "Who's that, darling, the little wife?" I am going to _kill her_ if they don't get here soon. Katie said "Hi, sweetie! I'm going to guess that the owner the shrill voice I just heard is Edith. She found out you were in town. I'm also going to guess by the tone of your voice that she wasn't invited to come over, she just barged her way in." I replied "Yes, you could say that." Katie laughed "I'm not a bit surprised. Put me on speakerphone, hun. I want to say hello to her." I could tell by her tone of voice she was, as she would put it, 'winding up for the pitch'. It was my turn to smirk "Just a moment…OK."

I will never forget what was transpired next "Hello, Edith. This is '_the little wife'_…You are an incredibly cold, cruel and vicious _bony assed bitch, _aren't you? I _know_ what you're trying to pull and it _ain't working_, honey. If you think your sordid little one act drama is going to do anything outside of having you charged with stalking and possibly sectioned you're a _fool_. You see, I'm not as _stupid_ as you think I am nor am I some insecure, emotional little girl. I **_love_** and I **_trust_** my husband; those are two words that you have _absolutely_ no concept of. In case you can't get it through your thick, clown hair covered, head he doesn't want _anything_ to do with you and hasn't for the _last quarter century_. I know _all about_ the argument you had in the pub that night, I also know _everything_ that took place after. You see, I was _there_…the woman at the bar was _me_. You are _very lucky_ that you are trying to pull this crap in London, honey. Here we have a little thing known in the vernacular as the "She needed killin'" law. It would give me _great pleasure_ to pop a .45 ACP frangible into your chest then call the police to have them come collect the soggy garbage that was left over. All any jury here would do is thank me for performing a public service in _putting down a rabid animal_ and tell me to '_have a nice day!_' Now, if you are as _smart_ as you _think_ you are you will haul your _disgusting carcass _out of my husband's room and out of our lives **_forever_**. _Dumb bitch_…" The look on Edith's face was priceless, for once she was speechless. Katie said in a happily satisfied voice "Ok, hun, you can turn the speakerphone off now. Call me back after they drag her away." Just as I hung up security showed up "Yes, could you please remove this woman. She barged her way in here-I thought she was the maid delivering the towels I'd requested. If she refuses to leave peacefully please call the police and I will file charges on her. She has been stalking me for years." The security guards gave me a knowing look and smile "Old flame that hasn't gotten the clue, eh?" I replied "Something like that." They walked over to her "Come along, Miss. Time to go." She said nothing but refused to budge. The guard said "Either you come with us peacefully or we carry you out and hand you over to the police. Your choice…" She started to walk hesitantly towards the door, looking at me with angry and pleading eyes. I simply said "Goodbye, Edith." and closed the door behind them. I leaned against the door and breathed a sigh of relief.

I took a few moments to calm down then called Katie back. She answered "Hello, my love! Are you OK?" I sighed "I am now…that was horrible! Hopefully she'll get the clue this time around. I'm so sorry…" Katie said soothingly "It's alright…I'm just sorry you had to go through that. You sound tired, sweetheart." I replied "I am. I didn't sleep on the plane and was just about to take a nap when all this happened. I haven't been that angry in a very long time, now I feel drained and very tired. You were magnificent! It took all of my control to keep myself from laughing at her, you should've seen the look on her face after you finished with her. I love you…oh, god. I wish you were here." "I wish I were, too! I hardly slept last night. It just isn't any good when you aren't here! Well, I'm going to let you take a nap and I'm going to cuddle up to your pillow and try to take one, too. Sweet dreams, my love!" I replied "I love you so much and can't wait to hold you in my arms again. I'll be cuddling you in my dreams." I hung up and set the alarm on my phone then laid down, grabbed a pillow to cuddle and fell asleep. I dreamed. I dreamed that I was back home. I was lying next to her as she slept and caressing her very pregnant belly-feeling content and at peace, trying to convey in my caresses the love I felt for her and the two little ones inside her. I drifted off to sleep in my dream…I saw us sleeping from the perspective of a third person observing us. We looked so comfortable as we slept. Then I saw her eyes snap open and a look of pain and fear cross her face.


	70. Chapter 70-Dinner and Disaster

**_Chapter 70: Dinner and Disaster_**

I woke feeling refreshed but a bit concerned. After what we've been through with dreams I thought about the one I just had. She was 'bigger' than she is now in it, probably very close to term. The look of fear on her face? Did I think that there was someone in the room? No. She wouldn't be afraid of that, she would be angry. As Edith learned a few hours ago you'd better not make her go into 'protect my family' mode. If Edith had been stupid enough to show up in Houston the very least she would have gotten out of my beautiful wife would have been, as Claire would put it, the 'ghetto beat down'. Hell, Claire would've probably helped her! I concluded that if it meant anything it was probably the onset of labor, I know she is very apprehensive about that. I also know she is concerned about regaining her figure and how her body will change afterwards. I'm not, and I have told her that to try to reassure her, but she still frets about it.

I showered and dressed for dinner. I selected a dark navy suit, white shirt, Waikawa gray tie with a subtle paisley pattern and the paua pearl cufflinks. While I was trying to decide I smiled as I thought about what Katie had said in Akaroa _"If there is one thing I have learned about you, Martin, is that you are a peacock at heart!" _I looked at the cufflinks and daydreamed about that day... We were going to Le Gavroche, an old favorite of ours. It wasn't too far from the hotel so I'd told them I would just walk over there, save them from having to stop by and pick me up. I checked how I looked in the mirror one last time and decided that this '_grande pavone_' did indeed look good then headed out the door. As I walked to the restaurant I called home to see if she was awake, she didn't answer so I left her a message. I arrived just as they were; we greeted each other then walked in together. The Maitre'd greeted us and said to me "It's been a long time since we've seen you here, Mr. Ellingham!" then escorted us to our table.

We talked as we perused the menu, Jenny and Fiona both complimented me on how I looked and asked how Katie was. I thanked them for the kind compliments and told them pretty much what I had told Chris and Robert about how Katie was doing earlier in the day. They, too, were somewhat appalled by the idea of her playing hockey. Fiona said that after they had seen some of the pictures I had sent them from our honeymoon they were planning a trip to Aitutaki and asked for recommendations on the resorts there. I told her that the best person to ask would be Katie but the Pacific Resort seemed nice, that is where John had stayed. I added that she had never stayed at any of them, she lived on her boat. I had an idea, I told them "I could ask Katie but I'm sure she wouldn't mind you using the Isilme to stay on. I don't know what the cost would be to move it there and back but I could ask her. I do know that it's the only place, in my mind, to stay of you are going-unless you want the full resort and spa treatment, of course. We're going back next August, by then the twins will be six months old and should be able to handle the trip on the boat well." The expressions on all their faces changed to a look of concern, Jenny said "You aren't really planning to sail across 2,400 miles of open ocean with two infants, are you?" I replied "Yes. Katie knows what she is doing and the boat was specifically designed to handle weather much worse than any we will see in those waters. It was designed to sail in the Southern Ocean and she has sailed it as far south as Elephant Island. We had it in 40 knot winds and 20 foot seas and you wouldn't know that was what it was like outside unless you looked out the window. It's an incredible boat captained by an incredible woman. If she's not worried about it then I'm not going to be, either." Chris asked "Where is Elephant Island? The name rings a bell but I can't quite place it." I replied "It's where Shackleton left his men after the Endurance sank. It's off the coast of the Antarctic peninsula." Chris laughed "Your wife is crazy; you know that, don't you?" I smiled "Yes, but that's part of her charm." Robert said "That craziness is rubbing off on you, my friend. The man we all have known for decades wouldn't take such risks." I thought for a moment and said "The mere act of living is fraught with risk and peril. Any one of us could die at any moment. You could be knocked down by a lorry while crossing the street or have a slab of masonry fall on you while walking on the pavement. None of us are guaranteed a time on earth. I, too, though some of the things she has done were crazy, but as I have learned they only seemed that way. She plans for the worst at all times then ensures that it does not happen. She would have died long ago if she were truly 'crazy'."

The waiter came to take our orders; I decided to have the Grilled Dover Sole. Robert said with a slight, knowing smile "I heard a very interesting thing this afternoon. Mr. Williamson was at the Dorchester attending a conference and he said that he saw the security guards chucking Edith out of the hotel and handing her over to the police. He said she was pretty angry and giving them a hard time so they handcuffed and arrested her. I will hear more about this tomorrow; the police have to inform me if charges have been filed against her. Depending on what they are she may lose her privileges. Know anything about that, Martin?" I sighed and shook my head "Yes, she barged into my suite and I had security remove her. I didn't request that she be arrested, just removed. Katie called right after she did and Edith tried to stir things up. Unfortunately for Edith she doesn't know my wife, she _knows_ her now. I doubt I will have any more problems with Ms. Montgomery after this afternoon-if she knows what's good for her, that is." I recounted what Katie said to her on the speakerphone almost word for word, they all laughed. Fiona said "My god, Edith is very lucky Katie wasn't there! Being arrested would've been the_ least_ of her problems."

Chris had an announcement to make. "As everyone here knows my position in Truro is being phased out so I have been searching for a new job. This afternoon I received a phone call informing me that I have been hired by The London Clinic on Harley Street." We all congratulated him and Robert requested that a magnum of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé be brought to celebrate the occasion. Chris said "I have both of you to thank for this. From what I gather your letters of recommendation were quite helpful." Robert said "We did nothing, you did it all on your own." Chris replied "You're being modest…" I put my hand on his shoulder and said "Chris, you are an exceptional doctor, an excellent administrator and an extraordinary man. In more ways than one I owe you my life. You've been ready for this move for a long time; you just were comfortable where you were. We did nothing except state the truth." He looked down "I do feel a little strange bailing out of the NHS and going private." I said "You didn't 'bail out' on the NHS, they 'bailed out' on you. You have _nothing_ to feel badly about." The champagne came and we all drank a toast to Chris and Jenny and their new life in the private sector. Fiona asked Jenny if they had started to think about where they wanted to live in London "Not yet, we just found out today. Not really sure what we can afford…We haven't told our parents yet or our children. We're going to do that tomorrow. I don't know how Lily will take it, I think she will be OK but you know how teenagers are." This led to a discussion of nice areas to live in London and estate agents.

The Maitre'd came over "I'm sorry to intrude but I have a message for Mr. Ellingham." He handed me the message, it read "Call Don _immediately_." I paled. Fiona asked was wrong, I handed her the message and pulled my phone out of my pocket. I had turned it off so I wouldn't be interrupted during dinner. I turned it on to find I had about 30 missed calls and about 20 text messages-from Matsuko, Claire, Peter, Foghorn, Don, Justine and two from someone at the Houston Police Department. "Oh, god...please excuse me." I got up and went outside to call him "Hello, Don, what's wrong?" Don said "Martin, if you aren't sitting down find a place to do so. Before you start to panic she and the twins are OK..._so far_. Katie was broadsided by a truck, the guy's brakes failed and he was going about 50 when he hit her. The impact spun her car through the intersection and it was hit by another car and pushed into a gas station sign and part of it fell on the car. The police had her brought here because they knew you worked here. That Merc has excellent safety features and they all worked but she was spun around violently and the car came to a dead stop when it hit the sign-the debris from the sign pushed in the roof of the car. It took them a while to remove the debris and cut her out of the car. She has been admitted. Preliminary diagnosis is she has a grade 3 concussion, has whiplash and other muscle and joint strain which are causing her pain, the airbag hit her pretty hard and she has some bruising and minor burns from that, she also has some serious contusions and some cuts from the glass, most of the cuts are minor but the one on her arm required ten stitches. The major concern at the moment is the twins. So far everything _seems_ to be OK on that front but Matsuko, Ryan, Claire, Ivan and Karl will be keeping her under constant observation and monitoring. All of them are concerned that there may be problems that aren't apparent so far. As you know they have to be careful in treating her due to her condition but they do have her lightly sedated and on pain meds so she can rest. I will email you the links so you can access her chart and current vitals." It took me a while before I could speak "Is she conscious? Can I talk to her?" Don replied "I'm in my office at the moment, let me transfer you to Matsuko." A couple moments later Matsuko's voice came over the phone "Hello Martin! We've been trying to get ahold of you for the last three hours! Where have you been?" I replied "I've been having dinner with Robert and Chris and their wives. Don just gave me the rundown. How is she? Can I talk to her?" Matsuko said "She's sleeping right now and we're going to keep her under constant observation and monitoring. There will be department heads or attendings from Ob/Gyn, CVT, Neuro and Ortho with her at _all_ times. I am _not_ going to tell you that everything is fine because we aren't sure that it is yet. What I_ will_ tell you is that from where things stand _right now_ both her and the twins have been _very lucky_. It could be _so much worse_ than it is right now." I sighed and wiped the tears from my eyes "I have to make some phone calls but I will be on the first flight home that I can get on." Matsuko replied "OK. We'll see you soon. You have the links to monitor her and we will be here if you need to call. If anything changes or if she wakes up and is able to talk we will call you. I will tell her that you are on your way home when she wakes up, that'll make her feel better. She's been asking for you, she didn't remember that you are in London right now. Side effects of the concussion." I said "The faster I get off the phone the faster I can get home. I'll call you when I get back to the hotel and arrange for a flight home. Is Peter there?" Matsuko replied "He was here. The police called and asked if someone could come and retrieve her purse and other belongings so he went to do so." "OK, I'll try to call him later. See you soon and let me know if anything changes or she wakes so I can talk to her." "Will do. She'll be OK. Try not to worry too much."

I went back into the restaurant and over to our table. As I approached they all looked at me with concern. I explained what was going on and that I had to leave. Robert said "Just go and don't worry about the bill. God, I hope everything turns out alright!" Chris said "Let us know when you can how things are going. Do you want me to call Louisa and let her know that you had to leave?" I replied "No, I'll do that when I get back to the hotel. I'd better get going, it was a pleasure to see you all tonight. Hopefully I will see you all again soon. Once again congratulations on your new appointment, Chris! Say hello to Lily for me!" Fiona and Jenny both gave me a kiss and reassured me that everything will be fine and not to worry. Robert and Chris both shook my hand and echoed their wives sentiments. I turned and walked out of the restaurant. On the way back to the hotel I checked for flight availability and managed to get a seat on the 10:25am flight to Houston. Back in the hotel room where no one could see me I let go of the composure that I had forced on myself to deal with talking to my friends and get back to the hotel. I sat down, looked at her chart and current vitals then cried. Matsuko told me not to worry, the chart and vitals all told a _very different story_. They screamed at me to be afraid.


	71. Chapter 71-Pray Hope Love

**_Chapter 71: Pray. Hope. Love._**

When I finally calmed down and was thinking rationally I looked at the chart and vitals again, what kinds of lab tests and scans they were running then thought of the conversations I had with Don and Matsuko. I could deduce from those what was worrying them the most and they were _very worried_. The initial diagnosis was a grade 3 concussion but the continuing myoclonus isn't common with that, neither is abducens nerve palsy. ICP is slowly but steadily increasing, it should have stabilized or reduced by now. Everything was pointing to cytotoxic or vasogenic edema and/or subdural haematoma but they can't pin point where it is yet and they aren't going to go in blind-they _need_ to know where and what it is. They're continually running EEG, CT and MRI scans; in the last round they added a TCCD. They're searching for minute bleeders or small aneurysms. It would be easier if it were something big, but it isn't. It's diffuse and non-centralized. I thought of who Matsuko and Don said was standing by and that all pointed to that, too-Ob/Gyn, CVT, Neuro and Ortho along with Trauma. All suggesting that as soon as they find what they are looking for they will operate and if they do they're expecting complications-if there are they want to make sure they have the staff on hand to deal with them. The fact that Don is still listed as being on the premises doesn't bode well, either. He would be the one tasked to keep me informed if problems arose. Foghorn and Chandra are still listed as being on premises, too. That meant they were staying available if needed-Foghorn would be needed if case anything required immediate approval and Chandra if her skills as a general surgeon were needed. Thankfully there is no sign of trauma to the twins or of abruptio placentae but Matsuko has given her Rhogam to be on the safe side if there is. They are well protected in the amniotic sac. The twins aren't viable yet...I didn't want to even _dare_ thinking about that, if I did I knew I would lose it again.

I looked at the time and thought I'd better call Louisa before it got way too late. She answered the phone with her familiar, but sleepy, Cornish burr "Hello, Martin! It's a bit late for you to be calling...is there something wrong?" I explained what was going on and that I was leaving for Houston in the morning. "Oh god...that is horrible! Are you OK? You sound shaky." I sighed "No, I'm not...At times like this I wish I didn't understand what is going on. Everything I've seen so far isn't good. If they do have to operate there is a good chance she could lose the twins. They and her have both been under a great deal of stress and trauma already, surgery will complicate that exponentially. If there is one 'good thing' in all of this is that they have Dr. Lewis from WHT on standby-he's the best gas passer to have in this situation." Louisa asked quizzically "Gas passer?" I smiled wanly and replied "Anesthesiologist. Operating on a pregnant woman is a delicate tradeoff-they have to preserve both her life and the life of the baby, or babies she is carrying. Anesthesia drugs rapidly cross the placenta and are distributed to the fetus and can cause a myriad of complications, including premature labor. The twins aren't viable yet so if she loses them, they are _gone_. There is nothing anyone can do..." My mind started to wander through the _very long list_ of what could possibly go wrong...the worst is that she could suffer a massive stroke on the table and die...

"Martin...Martin! Are you still there?" I snapped out of it "Yes, I was just reviewing all the possible complications." Louisa said in a soothing tone "Martin, she is a remarkable and resilient woman. You are a remarkable and resilient man. Those two little babies she is carrying are a combination of their parents-both of them are fighters and survivors, just like their parents. They won't give up easily, they will endure and in the end _everything_ will be OK. You are right, you _do_ know too much. What you have to do for right now is to _forget_ _everything you know_ and have hope. Set the doctor and surgeon aside and be a human being. When you think like a doctor and a surgeon all you see are the negatives and that doesn't allow you to have hope. Hope is more powerful than your medicine in this case-hope and love. _She_ needs to feel that coming from you, _they_ need to feel that coming from you. They are standing on a cliff, they need to feel you calling them back from the abyss. I know it will be hard for you because you are Dr. Martin Ellingham to the core with _all that entails_, what you need to be right now is just _plain old Martin_-her husband and the twins father. That is who they _really_ need right now. Let the others do what they need to do and _you do what you need to do_-pray, hope and love." I was silent in thought for a moment "You are a wise woman, Louisa. I will try." She replied "Good. Everything will turn out fine in the end, I _know_ it will." I received a text, they were performing a decompressive craniectomy on her. I told Louisa that, she asked what that was and I explained it to her and added "She's going to be mad about that, she had her hair cut last week. She opted for a new style; it looked very pretty on her." Louisa replied "See, now you're thinking like _plain old Martin_...it'll be OK...pray, hope, love."

I took a deep breath to release some of the tension I was feeling and said "We were looking forward to having James come over. She knew it wouldn't be as much 'fun' for him as it was when he was there in May but she did come up with somethings that we could do that would be fun for him." Louisa brightened "What were those?" I replied "We were going to go on a little trip out to west Texas for a couple of days. Stop in San Antonio for a day so he could see the Alamo and the riverwalk, then head out into the desert. Up in the Davis Mountains is the McDonald Observatory and on Tuesday and Wednesday nights closest to the full moon the telescopes aren't very useful to the astronomers so they have these things called 'star parties' and special viewing nights. There are personnel and guides that give an overview of the night sky, the constellations, the mythology behind them, etc. then they set up a variety of telescopes and aim them at various interesting planets, stars and nebulae for people to view. These parties are designed for families so there isn't anything overly technical in them. One of them is a special one where the public is given the opportunity to view various items in the sky through a 107 inch telescope. It includes dinner and there are astronomers on hand to describe the research projects they are doing and answer questions. The information for that one said that they didn't recommend it for children under 10 but Katie said 'James is a well behaved, highly intelligent and curious child, He would love it! If he was some kid that only cared about video games, football and TV shows I'd agree with their recommendation, but he isn't one of those kids.' Then, knowing his love of swimming, we were going to go down to Balmorhea for a day. The state park there has the world's largest spring fed swimming pool-it covers almost two acres and has about 25 million gallons of water flowing through it a day. There are little fish and turtles that live in it and the water is crystal clear. In the deeper portions you can scuba dive and there is a dedicated shallow end for children. He would see many different birds and animals and maybe even a Luna Moth if we got lucky. I've never seen one personally, only in photos. They are beautiful...they only live for a week..." A thought crept into my mind that perhaps that is what Katie and I had-a beautiful and rare love that was doomed to live for a short time. I thought of her in the moonlight on our wedding night, a softly glowing moon goddess shimmering in pale, silvery light.

"Martin...Martin! Are you still there?" I tried to compose myself again then replied "Yes, I was just thinking about something...It's getting late and you need to sleep and I have to pack and try to sleep. It's going to be a long and _very bad_ day for me tomorrow. They suite will be here for you and your family on Saturday, everything is arranged. Obviously I can't take James with me right now, I will probably be living at the hospital for the next couple weeks at least and even if I wasn't I doubt I'd be much good for him to be around. He doesn't need to be that upset." Louisa replied "Maybe there is a way that we could arrange it so he could go and be with you. I know he would want to be there to help his father." I replied "Louisa, I am going to talk like Dr. Martin Ellingham for a moment here so you fully grasp the situation. The odds are that she will lose the twins-from what I've seen so far in her charts, vitals and tests that is almost a given-especially now that they have taken her into surgery. Depending on what the nature of her injuries are and what happens on the table she may die at _very_ _worst__,_ be permanently brain damaged or paralyzed at the worst or have to go through months of physical, neurological and psychological therapy to regain what she has lost at the _best_. There is a _very slim_ chance that everything will turn out fine and all she has are a few new scars, is mad about the new 'haircut' she has and the twins live, she carries them to term and turn out healthy and with no damage. That comes under the category of _miracle_ and as a doctor _I don't believe in them_." Louisa replied "Quit thinking like a doctor and start thinking like a husband and father-**Pray. Hope. Love**. _That_ is how miracles happen, with prayer, hope and love." I sighed "I'll try." Louisa replied in a tone meant to cheer me up "As one of our son's favorite movie characters would say 'Do or do not. There is no try.' A 'Jedi master' like you should know that." I said with a slight laugh "I don't feel like the master of _anything_ right now. Anyway, I'm feeling absolutely drained and very tired. I'll call you tomorrow and talk to James, too. Good night, Louisa, and say hello to Stephan and the children for me." I could hear her stifle a yawn "I'm really tired too, it's way past my bedtime. We'll talk to you tomorrow though if you don't get a chance to call we'll understand. Good night, Martin, and try to remember to Pray. Hope and Love." With that we rang off.

I sat for some time lost in thought, and then I undressed, performed my nightly hygiene routine and went to bed. I laid there in the dark and did my best to follow Louisa's advice. I fell asleep. I dreamed.

I dreamt of a day in the far future. I was in a field of Bluebonnets and from the looks of it I was at Danny's ranch. The sun was going down and everything glowed in the light of the 'golden hour'. I was with a beautiful young woman with blond, ringletted hair and stunning green eyes...her mother's eyes. She said to me "You ready to give me away, Dad?" I said "No, but I will do what I must." She touched my face "I'll _always_ be 'daddy's little girl', you know that! We'd better get going otherwise they'll think the bride ran away..."


	72. Chapter 72-Shack Isn't a Verb

**_Chapter 72: Shack Isn't a Verb_**

My alarm woke me at 4:30am. I sat up and turned it off then checked for messages-there were none. I had told Don that I was going to try to sleep and I didn't want progress reports. The reason why I didn't want progress reports is that things can look very good for a while then come crashing down in an instant. I didn't want to ride that roller coaster; I was having a hard enough time keeping it together as it is. I thought about what Louisa told me last night-Pray. Hope. Love. I had Love, it was lying on an operating table 4,000 miles away. I was trying to have Hope. I didn't know how to Pray. I'd learned at a very early age that if God did exist He turned a deaf ear to my prayers. When I was a child my parents would take me to church every Sunday and every Sunday I prayed for the torture to end, by the time I hit boarding school I'd given up. I knew He wasn't listening. I felt like I was some freak experiment of His to see just how much pain and punishment someone could take and still overcome. Then I remembered the old joke that goes "What's the difference between God and a surgeon?" The answer is "God doesn't think he's a surgeon."

I pulled out a pair of jeans, cotton shirt and the leather jacket Katie had given me to wear and packed the rest of my clothes. I sat there and looked at the jacket-it was her grandfather's. He was a member of the Flying Tigers and it had the blood chit stitched inside it. She had said that he had put his on the inside of his jacket because the red and white would stand out too much if he was trying to hide from the Japanese. One of her favorite childhood toys was a model of the plane he flew. "Other girls played with dolls, I played with planes." I remembered telling her that it was too great a gift to which she replied "He would be happy to know it wasn't laying around in storage and forgotten and it fits you well. I don't think he would mind you wearing it, either-even though you're a 'Limey bastard'." I ran my hand over the smooth and well broken in leather then went to take a shower. In the shower memories of my life with Katie went flying through my head, and then I thought about the Luna Moth. Beautiful and doomed to live a short life. My tears mingled with the warm water.

I struggled to pull myself together as I dressed and finally managed to force a surgeon's composure on myself. As I was getting in the cab that would take me to Heathrow my phone rang, it was Louisa. "Hello, Martin! Any news?" I replied "No, I told them I didn't want updates while she was in surgery. I only wanted to know the outcome. Things can rapidly change and I didn't want to have my hopes buoyed just to have them come crashing down." Louisa said "James wants to talk to you, here he is..." I heard her handing the phone to him then his voice "Hello, daddy! Mummy told us what happened, I feel so sad..." I could hear him starting to cry "Shhhh...It'll be alright, son...I love you and I'm sorry I have to go home, I hope you understand why I have to. We missed you so much and were looking forward to you coming to Houston." He sniffled and blew his nose "I understand...I just wish I could be with you to help. Can I come with you? I want to help! _PLEASE_..." I sighed "I don't know how I would get you over there, I have to leave now and there's not enough time to get you here to go with me...Let me talk to your mum for a second, please." I heard him hand the phone to Louisa "Yes?" I said "If I can get him a ticket is there any way you could get him to Heathrow on time? My flight leaves at 10:25am." She replied "I don't know...There is a train that leaves Birmingham at 7:10 that gets into Euston at 8:30, it would be cutting it close but we could make that one...Just a moment...Stephan said he would be happy to take him to London if needed, one of the advantages of being headmaster is that you can sometimes write your own schedule." I said "Let me call you right back, I need to see if I can get him a seat." I hung up and checked-there was one seat left in first class, I booked it and called her back. "Hello, Martin, what did you find out?" "There was one seat left and I booked it. I'll be at Euston to meet Stephan and James. Are you _sure_ you two can and _want_ do this?" She replied "I already had his things packed and ready for his trip to Houston. He needs summer clothing there so it was easy to pack ahead and was one less thing to do before we all went down to London. His passport is already packed in the pocket on his bag, I will double check to make sure it is there. All he needs is a couple of toys, books and his Kindle to keep him occupied. We would be _happy_ to do this, _he really wants to be with you to help _and you have helped us so much it's the least we can do." I replied "OK...I'll be at Euston. Thank you, Louisa, though I don't know if it the right thing to do, it could be _very bad_." She replied "Martin, he knows that and that is why he wants to be with you. It would be worse for him if he knew you were all alone, if you know what I mean." I knew what she meant, she didn't want to say 'if she dies' in front of him. "Stephan and James just left, he booked the tickets for the train while James put his toys and things in his backpack. They will be there at 8:30, barring any delays and I hope there aren't any."

I told the cab driver to take me to Euston station. Once inside the station I got a coffee and checked for messages, there were none. She had been in surgery a long time, that didn't bode well. I started to go through the long list of complications again then stopped, I would drive myself crazy mulling over possibilities that I wasn't sure were even happening. Instead I stared at my coffee and thought about the long discussion Katie and I had about God. I have to admit it was one of the more interesting discussions I've had in my life. My mind was still wandering through that conversation when felt a tug on my sleeve and heard a familiar voice "Daddy, are you OK?" I looked up to see the bright grey eyes of my son, I picked him up and gave him a hug and a kiss "Yes, I was just thinking. I'm so glad to see you! I love you!" Stephan was standing behind him, we shook hands "Thank you for bringing him Stephan! It is much appreciated!" Stephan replied "It was no problem at all! He needed to be with you and you needed him. I'll be back in plenty of time for my afternoon meeting." I looked at the time "We'd better get going if we're going to make it in time. Ready to go, son?" He replied "Yup! I've got everything! Mummy told me to give you this." He took his passport out of his jacket pocket and handed it to me. I set James down and picked up my bags, Stephan said "I'll carry his, lead on." I took James's hand and we headed towards the entrance to the station to catch a cab. I thanked Stephan once again for bringing him on such short notice. He handed James his backpack and said "My pleasure. Please let us know how things are going, we're all very concerned." I replied "I will once I know anything. Talk to you soon and thank you again!" We waved goodbye to Stephan as the cab pulled away. I told the cabbie that we needed to make a 10:25 flight at Heathrow, James added "Katie got hurt in an accident and we have to go to her, she's in Texas." The cabbie smiled and nodded at James "I understand. I'll get you there as fast as I can, don't you worry!" He was excellent and got us there as fast as he could considering the traffic, I tipped him £100. By the time we had finished checking in and gone through security we still had about 15 minutes before our flight was to board so I called Don. 'Hello, Martin...I guess you're just about to board your flight. Things have gone quite well so far and they're just finishing up. I will be at the airport to pick you up." I replied "Thanks, Don! That is good news but I'll wait to read the surgical notes and see how she is when she regains consciousness before I'll stop worrying. I have James with me, Stephan brought him down this morning so he could come with me." Don replied "That's good! James is a wonderful child and he will be a big help to you." "I have to go, our flight is being called. See you in a couple of hours."

Onboard I asked the gentleman who had the seat next to James if I could possibly trade with him and he agreed. Once we had settled James asked "What's wrong with Katie? Mummy told me she had been in a car crash and was badly hurt and might die." I tried my best to explain to him what had happened as far as I knew it and what her injuries were. "The brain is a tricky thing to operate on, so much can go wrong and many things can't be repaired. Depending on what happens she may be paralyzed, might not be able to speak, see or hear, may not be able to remember things or people. She might not remember how to do things like make Tortellini or how to sail or fly. Yes, she might die, too. Even if all goes well her personality might change, she won't be the same person. We won't know anything until she wakes up, if she wakes up. She might not. Then there are the babies to think of. They might be hurt or die, too." James took my big hand into his little ones "Oh, daddy! This is all so terrible! Mummy told me that we had to pray that she will be fine, have hope that our prayers are answered and send all our love to her so she knows how to find her way back to us. Mummy said that you had to go back home to be with Katie and I told her I needed to go with you so you wouldn't be all alone and to help you. She said that she didn't know if it was possible to get me to London to go with you but Mummy and Stephan did. You _need me_ to help-you don't know how to talk to God." I sat there for a long time lost in thought, my big hand being held in his two small ones. I started to doze and fell asleep.

I awoke a couple of hours later to find that a blanket had been put over me and James was reading a book. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you, son. Are you hungry?" It's OK, daddy. You're really tired. I asked the lady if she could help me put a blanket over you so you would be warm. She's nice! She brought me some orange juice and some scones but I am getting hungry." I was _very_ hungry; I hadn't eaten since Le Gavroche. I took out the menu and held it so he could look at it, too. We both decided that a salad and the Shepherd's Pie sounded good so I ordered it and some tea for me and milk for James. While we ate James talked about his new school, his new home and his new friends. He told me "Don't tell mummy this because she will be sad but I wish we were back home in Port Wenn. I miss the sea and walking on the cliff paths. I know everyone there and everyone was nice to me. Everything is too big where we live now and no one knows each other-everyone is too busy." I had sensed he felt that way in our Skype conversations but he was afraid to say it. At first he was excited but once the day to day routine hit his enthusiasm had waned. "Moving to a new place is always hard. Everything is so different and you don't know anyone. You just need a little time to get used to things."

He looked at his food and poked at it, then looked at me "Can I come live with you and Katie when she gets better?" I was _not_ prepared for that! I was trying to formulate an answer that he would understand and wouldn't make him feel like I was rejecting him. I love him and would love to have him live with us but he is Louisa's son, too. When we divorced we both agreed that he was much better off living with her and I still felt that way. He _needs_ his mother. "Why would you want to do that? You know it would make mummy very sad if you did." He said "I love mummy and I love Stephan, but I'm...different...I like to read and learn about things, my sisters only think about some stupid singer or girly things like clothes and shoes and all my brothers think about is football and rugby. I like them and we do have fun but we don't like the same things so I spend most of my time alone now. It wasn't so bad when we lived in Port Wenn because I could go and look for seashells or watch the Dolphins in the harbor or watch the birds. I could always go visit Burt and he would give me a biscuit and talk to me or tell me funny stories or I could walk over to Al's and help him with his veg patch or feed the chickens and he'd talk to me and give me rides on the tractor. I'd also go see Morwenna and talk to her and Doc George when they weren't busy. Where we live now I'm not allowed to leave the school grounds without an adult. The kids at school are mean, too. They pick on me when no one is looking. The best part of my day is when we talk on Skype. You and Katie are so smart and I can talk to you about things I'm interested in and you help me learn about them." I had to walk a very fine line in any reply I gave him so thought about it long before I answered "It's not as easy as it seems. I love you and mummy loves you. We both want what is best for you. It may seem bad to you now but six months from now things may have changed and you feel differently about it all. I don't know what's going to happen. Katie may be too sick or weak to be able to do things by herself and I will have to work very hard to take care of her on top of doing my job." His voice took on a pleading tone that troubled me. It troubled me because it reminded me of my voice the night before I would have to leave Auntie Joan's and go back to school. I decided to change the subject and try to get him to take a nap then talk to Louisa in private as soon as possible about this. Getting him to take a nap wasn't difficult; he became sleepy after eating lunch. The 'nice lady' came and turned down his sleeper while he brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas. I wished I could talk to Katie about it, too...I _hoped_ I could talk to her about it.

James slept for most of the rest of the flight which was a good thing. It gave me time to think and it gave him some much needed rest. We'd be on the go from landing then at the hospital for some time before we'd be able to go home. Peter was out of town, he had joined the MOB as a band assistant and the football team was playing Tulane in New Orleans. He was well accepted by his college classmates and was, in his words, 'having the best time in all of his life' in between his school activities, classes and working on my research project. He even had a girlfriend, though both of them protested that they were 'just friends', when they said that Katie would just chuckle and say "Uh huh...I _believe_ you." She was a structural engineering student and was also a band assistant. A very intelligent and pretty girl named Minh whose family escaped Vietnam at the end of the war and moved to Houston. Her grandparents opened a restaurant that became quite successful and their family had made a fortune from that and dealing in real estate. She had been over to the house many times but not as an 'overnight guest' thought both Katie and I knew that one morning we'd eventually see both of them coming down the stairs. I remember when I first said to her that I wouldn't be surprised to see that, Katie laughed and asked me to "Conjugate 'to shack' in Latin." I replied "Shack isn't a verb." She started giggling and said "It _was_ when we did it!" I laughed at that and agreed that it was indeed a verb when we did it. Then the thought that we may never laugh again hit me like a train. I felt so alive and so happy with her, I didn't want to lose that and I didn't want to lose her! I thought about what Louisa had said-Pray. Hope. Love. Then I thought about what James had said a few short hours ago "You _need me_ to help-you don't know how to talk to God." In the quiet of a sleepy first class cabin somewhere off the coast of Nova Scotia I decided to try to talk to God. I don't think it went well but I tried and kept trying. My mind kept on wandering back to moments with her-funny, quiet, passionate and profound. They ran like a series of movies in my mind all to be stopped dead in their tracks with the thought that all of that might be gone forever. I was still lost in my thoughts when the flight attendant came over to me and said "We'll be landing in about 90 minutes. You might wish to wake your son soon so he will be ready in time for it." I thanked her and softly tried to wake James up. He was his happy self when he did eventually wake. He gave me a big hug and kiss "I love you, daddy! Everything is going to be all right, I know it is! I'm going to go put my clothes on so I'll be ready. Can I have some juice?" I hugged and kissed him "I love you, too! I'll ask the flight attendant if we can get some more juice for you."

James had finished his juice and pocketed some extra biscuits that he smooth talked the flight attendant out of when I felt the plane starting to slowly descend and the engines start to slow. (The thought of what Katie said about him at the baseball game came to mind _"I think James has a girlfriend, he and Hanna have been talking nonstop for the last two innings and they're already at the sharing snacks stage! Damn, you Ellingham men move fast!")_ I smiled at the thought of that; James asked me what I was smiling about "Oh, just something Katie said at that baseball game we went to." James smiled and said "That was so much fun! Can we go to another game when its baseball season again?" I replied "Yes, if you want to..." James took my hand and said "Katie will be there with us and she _will_ be Katie, daddy! Don't you worry!" I gave him a kiss "I hope so, son...I hope so..."

Don was waiting at the baggage claim for us. James saw him first and ran over to give him a hug "Hello Don. I'm so happy to see you again!" Don gave him a hug and tousled his hair "It's mighty good to see you again, young Dr. Ellingham!" Don shook my hand and gave me a pat on the back "How are you doing, Martin?" I replied "As well as can be expected, I guess." Don picked up James's bags as I picked mine up. "The car is right outside, let's go before it gets towed! I talked to the cop out there and explained the situation-he said he'd give me a couple minutes but not much more." We thanked the policeman and got in and headed to the hospital. Don handed me his tablet "Those are the surgical notes and there are links to her chart and vitals. You read those while young master James and I talk. We have a lot of catching up to do!" I read them while Don kept James occupied. At first I read them, as Louisa might put it, like _plain old Martin _would-looking for each glimmer of hope and actually finding quite a bit. Then I read them again as _Dr. Martin C. Ellingham MD, MCh, M.B.E., FRCS, FACS, FAAST, FACC, FRCGP _and started thinking of nothing but complications and worst case scenarios. I checked the chart and current vitals and they all looked good, even to the _Dr. Martin C. Ellingham_ part of me.

I was still reading and double checking them as we pulled into Don's parking space. He said "You go, I'll follow with James." I nodded and ran into the building. I ran up the stairs because it was faster to do so than waiting for the lifts. I hit the ICU floor and the nurse just pointed the way-she knew who I was and who I wanted to see. There was a crowd around the room and something was going on. All I could think was "Oh, god, don't let her die!" Foghorn almost tackled me, I wanted to punch him but he shook me and said "It's OK...calm down! She started to fight the intubation. She's waking up!"


	73. Chapter 73-The Poultry Farm

**_Chapter 73: The Poultry Farm_**

When the crowd finally cleared and I calmed down enough for Foghorn to release me from his grasp I went into the room. _My poor baby..._

She was still unconscious and no longer fighting the intubation. She was battered and bruised, her head bandaged (I can almost hear her say "This is _not_ a good look on me!), swollen and blackened eyes, right wrist splinted, bandaged left arm...I looked at the various monitors, everything was strong and stable all things considered. The twins were still there, fetal monitor readings were strong and stable. Ryan was making notations on her chart, he looked up and saw me. "Thank god you're back!" He hung up the chart, looked at me with tired eyes and sat down "Pull up a chair, Martin. It may be a while. She was fighting the intubation so we made some adjustments to her medication. I'm trying to bring her around slowly so I can evaluate her condition." I kissed her cheek and whispered to her "I'm here, sweetheart. I love you..." then pulled up a chair next to her and gently held her hand "How is she doing?" He replied "All in all I'm quite pleased...so far. Of course we won't fully know until she wakes but once we got in it wasn't as bad as we all thought initially. We had performed a trepanation initially to relieve pressure while we scanned for possible bleeders or aneurisms but it wasn't keeping up. I was going to perform a DC because I was, quite frankly, getting desperate-the pressure _had_ to be relieved, trepanation wasn't keeping up and we had no specific indication as to where the damage was. Everything was so diffuse. Walid came back in once he heard what had happened, that guy is a wizard! He found a two very small bleeders and one very small aneurism on the last set of scans which gave us the information we needed to go in.

I performed a craniotomy and Claire and I repaired the bleeders and aneurism with no problems and did an overall assessment with the TCD while we had her open. The craniotomy also helped a great deal to relieve the swelling and drain off the excess CSF, I did install an EVD. Overall as things stand now from what we saw while we were in there and post op scans and tests we're in pretty good shape. Swelling and pressure have gone down and are approaching normal parameters. EEG has stabilized though there has been some very interesting spurts of activity that I've never seen before that I've been monitoring and recording for later analysis. Her vitals have strengthened, and she fought the intubation. All of these are good signs. We have her tilted and so far there are no signs of aortocaval compression. Her right wrist is sprained and it is splinted and wrapped. She does have some moderate to severe contusions on her left leg and we're monitoring them for compartment syndrome. No damage to her knee-she's already been through hell with that knee just by looking at all the scars. We do have some concerns about her neck and right shoulder-moderate joint, ligament and muscle strain, no damage to the vertebrae. There may be a need for nerve decompression. We're waiting for the swelling to go down to reassess that after she regains consciousness and we see where she stands from a neurological standpoint. She's a natural fighter and survivor-in this situation that is a _very__ good_ thing to be. She's like that old ad for Timex watches-she takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. I didn't know about the fire or those scars she has. Claire told me the stories behind them; she's been through a lot. How did she get the two scars on her head? Both are very old but I'd guess that each took 7-10 stitches to close." I replied "The one on the top of her head came from when she was hit in the head by a road grater." Ryan's eyes bulged "What!?" I laughed "She was playing with some kid in a sandbox and he wanted the dump truck she was playing with, she didn't want to give it up so he hit her in the head with the road grater he was playing with. She beat him up. The one at the scalp line on her forehead came from a hockey puck. He was mad at her because she was shutting his team out so he shot at her head. She beat that kid up, too." He laughed "Like I said, she's a fighter! I hope she doesn't beat me up for giving her another scar!" I smiled "No, if all goes well she'll probably stuff you full of lasagna." He smiled "I'll _definitely_ submit to that punishment. She makes the best lasagna I've ever had!"

I asked him how the twins are "Matsuko's taking a nap in the on call room. I can wake her if you want but I can tell you what she told me to tell you when you finally got back." I replied "Let her sleep, just tell me what she said." Ryan took a bite of his sandwich "Sorry, this is the first chance I've had to eat since yesterday, I'm not leaving her bedside until she wakes up. Matsuko's done every test she can at the moment and monitored them from the moment she was brought in until an hour or so ago when things had stabilized enough for her to take a nap. As far as she can tell so far they have suffered no ill effects from either the accident itself of from the surgery. They did exhibit some minor signs of being in distress at one point during the surgery but those were alleviated. The twins were well protected in their sacs and Katie had properly placed her seat and her seatbelts so there was no damaged incurred from them or the airbags when the accident happened. Foghorn called over to WHT and asked if Lewis was around when she was brought in. He was getting ready to head home and Foghorn caught him just in time. He came over and it was a damned good thing he did-he is the best gas passer to have in this kind of situation. He walked a tight rope with them during the surgery and made it all look easy."

We hadn't noticed that Don and James were standing at the door. Don asked "Is it OK for us to come in?" Ryan said "Hi, James! I'm glad to see you! Sure, come on in but be careful. She's sleeping." James walked _very carefully_ over to me, I picked him up and put him in my lap. He asked "Can I hold her hand, too?" I smiled "I think she would like that." He _very gently_ held her hand and whispered "We love you, Katie...come back..." I put my hand over both of theirs and said "Yes, we do..." Ryan explained to James what had happened and how she was doing then we all sat and talked quietly and waited. After a while Claire walked sleepily into the room, saw that we were there and said "Hiya, boss! I see you brought my best buddy with you." She walked over kissed his cheek and tousled his hair "Hiya James! How's my best buddy doin'? I missed you!" He said quietly "I'm OK...just sad that Katie got hurt..." She crouched down next to him "She's gonna be fine! She just needs to sleep for right now. We made extra special super sure that she _will_ be fine, everyone loves Katie! Besides...we _need_ our goalie!" James said "She plays football...err...soccer, too?" Claire laughed "Not that I know of. She plays something better-Hockey! Say, you want to go ice skating with us? Ryan, Sean, Hanna, Jerry and a bunch of other people are going to go on Sunday if Katie is doing OK by then." James smiled then frowned "I don't know if I can go, Katie might need us. Besides, I don't know how to ice skate..." She smiled "We'll teach you how, it's easy! We'd even teach your daddy how but he's too big of a chicken to learn." I stated for the record "I am _not_ a chicken! My wife says that I am a peacock and peacocks don't skate." They all laughed and Claire said "Boy! Has she got _you_ nailed down! When you're all suited up in those Saville Row suits you _do_ have that 'L'air d'un paon anglais se pavaner' about you! It's _scary_..." I replied "She would say 'L'aria di pavone inglese impettito' and it's _meant_ to scare you. '_Let them fear me, so long as they obey me.'_" Don chuckled "In whatever language you want to use and whichever emperor you want to quote it is the truth and it _works_. It's _very amusing_ to watch the effect..." Claire sighed "I work at a freaking poultry farm...the chief of surgery is a big Louisiana Leghorn chicken and my boss is a giant English peacock...thank god you aren't a chicken, otherwise this would be the chicken ranch!" Everyone else laughed, I didn't understand why and asked why they were laughing. Clair exclaimed "Ohmigawd! He's never heard of the chicken ranch!" They proceeded to educate me on that particular bit of history in a way that wouldn't spark some embarrassing questions out of James.

She started to fight the intubation again, Ryan and Claire jumped into action and the nurses came running. Don picked up James and stepped out of the room while I stood back out of the way and observed. She's my wife, ethics do not allow me to treat her or assist unless specifically requested to by her physicians or it is an emergency and there is no one else available. Ryan barked "She's coming 'round, let's get the tube out." Once they did so she started to settle and we all watched for signs that she was regaining consciousness. Ryan said softly "Talk to her, Martin." I went over to her and caressed her cheek "Katie...I love you...wake up, sweetheart...come back to us..." the expression on her face changed to one of pain and let out a low moan, her eyes flickered open then clamped shut. Ryan said "Turn the overhead lights off." Her eyes slowly opened slightly then closed again. She let out a breath and was quiet for a moment then she said "Ow..." I looked up from her at Ryan, he smiled. Claire turned to look at James and gave him a 'thumbs up'. Ryan said quietly "Katie, I'm going to shine a light in your eyes so I can check your pupils, I know it will hurt but I must do it." She laid there and winced as he did so, muttering another "Ow..." Then he asked "Can you open your eyes again for me?" She opened them about halfway "Can you follow my finger with your eyes? Don't turn your head, just use your eyes." She did as she was told then closed her eyes again. "I know you're tired and it hurts but can you wiggle your toes for me?" She wiggled her toes and Ryan looked at me and grinned then took her left hand. "Can you squeeze my hand?" She squeezed his hand and it was his turn to say "Ow...that's good! Can you wiggle the fingers on your right hand for me?" She wiggled them, we all started to grin. She knew her name, understood instructions and she could move, the next big test was coming. Ryan said "Katie, look at me." She opened her eyes again and looked at him. "Do you know who I am?" She thought for a moment and said "Ryan." Ryan smiled "That's right!" He pointed at me "Do you know who he is?" She looked over at me, a smile crossed her face "Martin..." I took her hand, gave her a kiss and smiled "That's right!" She closed her eyes again "sleepy..." and fell back asleep.

Ryan asked that all visitors leave the room while Ryan, Claire and the nurses worked. Matsuko came running up and entered the room and joined in. Don handed James over to me "I'm so glad. Claire was partially right when she said everyone loves her. What she should've said is that everyone loves the _both of you_...well, all five of you. Young Dr. Ellingham is a pretty popular special guest around here too. Martin, you have no idea...people came back into work voluntarily to see if they could help in any way. They weren't called back, they just came and stayed. At midnight you would have thought it was noon from how many people were here." I was gobsmacked by that, no one had _ever_ said I was popular before. "She may be popular, and so is James. I'm not." Don replied "You really have no idea how much you have changed in the last year, do you? The man that got off Danny's jet a year ago would not recognize the man you are now." James asked "Is Katie all right now? Everyone is so happy and excited." I cuddled him and kissed his cheek "Well, what happened in there was _very good_-she knows her name, understands what is being said to her, she can move her toes and fingers so there is no paralysis and recognizes the people that she should. Those may seem like simple tests but in her case they are very big and basic ones. There may still be problems we don't know about but for _right now_ it is good news. What she needs to do right now is sleep to give her brain time to heal." James hugged me "I'm so happy Katie and the babies are going to be better soon, daddy!" his stomach growled "I'm hungry..." I said "We'll go get something to eat soon, son...I just want to find out what they have to say when they get done in there." He smiled "OK, daddy..."

About 20 minutes later they all came out. Ryan had his arm around Matsuko-he was yawning and that became contagious. "Well, we're going to go home and get some sleep. Dr. Abelman, Dr. Hu and Claire will monitor during the night. She will probably sleep through it though I am taking her off sedation unless it is warranted. She had another episode of atypical brain activity that I mentioned previously-there's a pattern to them that I'm not seeing right now, probably because _my brain_ is mush at the moment...Anyway, I'm very happy right now-she batted 1,000 on the tests. That smile she gave when she saw you was a bonus, appropriate emotional response. I know I don't have to give you the drill on how things like this can go..." I replied "Thank you so much, _both of you_! Go home and get some sleep and we'll see you tomorrow!" Matsuko smiled "You two go home and get some rest, too! I hope James might be available to come over to our house and play-both Sean and Hanna are excited that he is here. They missed him!" James replied seriously "We have to make sure Katie and the babies are OK, first. If she is maybe I'll be able to go play." Matsuko kissed his cheek and smiled "She will be. We're not going to let anything bad happen to her." She looked at Ryan "We'd better head for home before he falls asleep on me. Good night and see you tomorrow!" We bade them good night and James waved as they walked down the corridor. I said to James "Shall we go give Katie a good night kiss and go get something to eat?" James nodded and we entered her room, Claire looked up from making notes on Katie's chart and smiled "Everything will be OK, James, don't you worry!" I set him down and we walked over to Katie, she was sound asleep. I took her hand, caressed her cheek and whispered to her "James is here. We're going to get something to eat and go home for a bit. We'll be back later. I love you so much!" and I gently kissed her cheek. Claire slid a chair over so James could get up to when he could hold her hand and see her. He took her hand in his two small ones "I'm so happy you're getting better, Katie! I missed you and I love you, too!" I picked him up and held him so he could give her a kiss on the cheek, too. Her eyes flickered open a bit "Hi James..." then they closed again. We all smiled at that.

As we walked to Don's car we discussed what we wanted for dinner. It wasn't much of a discussion, James said "Fajitas!" and we agreed that sounded good. During dinner Don asked James how he liked his new home and school and he replied in a way that made Don take notice, he shot me a questioning look while James was busy building himself another taco and I mouthed "Tell you later..." After the excitement of the day and a tummy full of Fajitas James started to fade fast so Don gave us a ride home. James was asleep by the time we drove into the driveway. I gently picked him up and carried him inside and upstairs to bed. Don carried in our luggage while I got James undressed and tucked in. I went back downstairs and said "Fancy a scotch, Don?" he replied "Sure, I think we both need one after the last couple of days." I asked what kind he wanted, he told me to pick one. I grabbed the bottle of Glenlivet 21 year old, a small bottle of spring water and two glasses and went out on the patio to join him. "So what's up with James?" I took a sip of scotch "I'm not sure..." I recounted the conversation we had on the plane and Don said "Wow! What can be going on that would make him say those things? You don't think he's being abused, do you?" I replied "I don't think so, at least not in the way you are thinking he might be."

I leaned forward in my chair and took another sip of scotch. "I spent a lot of time thinking about what he said on the plane. If I were to venture a guess just on what he said in that conversation I'd guess it is a combination of things. He was an only child for a very long time and had his mother's full attention. While Stephan and Louisa were 'living together' they weren't together all the time-they split time between Wadebridge and Port Wenn so James still had 'his home'. Now they all live together in a place that is strange. Once the initial excitement wore off and the day to day routine set in he found himself not to be an only child and the apple of his mother's eye but one of five, soon to be six. That's got to be hard for him. He is different than his siblings-that doesn't cause problems in and of itself, they all get along fine. They just aren't interested in the same things and that does add to his feelings of isolation. He has nowhere to 'get away from it all'-he can't roam about town and visit people like he did in Port Wenn or just be by himself. The most troubling comment he made and the one that I suspect is at the heart of the matter is the one where he said he was being 'picked on' by the other students. I am going to guess that it goes deeper than just verbal abuse. He's not at a rural school anymore, he's at one of the more prestigious boarding schools in the country. I've been through that and know how it goes at them. He is the step child of the headmaster and child of one of the teachers. He is intelligent which intimidates some of his classmates and makes them look 'stupid' in comparison. Most of the children who go there come from very wealthy families and would look down on James as little more than being the child of 'the servants'. He is a sensitive, well-mannered and inquisitive child who is not a natural fighter. All of which automatically paints a target on him. I am going to guess he's being verbally abused, possibly being beaten up and is being subjected to nasty and vicious pranks. He doesn't know how to fight back and knows that if he did it would only make it worse for him. _No one_ would back him up if he was caught retaliating-all the other children would swear that James was the one who started everything. He would then have to be disciplined by the headmaster who just so happens to be his step father which would make problems for him at home. Knowing Louisa she would go ballistic if James was caught fighting or pulling pranks."

Don poured us both some more scotch "I was lucky, I grew up poor and on the wrong side of the tracks. All of us were the same-poor, hungry and from large families. We all wanted out of the slum and did in our own way-some through working hard and getting an education, most by going into the gangs, becoming alcoholics or junkies or by becoming run of the mill thieves and criminals. So, what are you going to do about it?" I sighed "There isn't much I can do. Even if it is as bad as I suspect it is and _will be_ I would _never_ try to take him away from Louisa. But I don't want his spirit crushed like mine was, either. I am going to talk to Louisa about the situation, though. They're in a tough place if what I suspect is going on is the truth. They can't just up and leave, they're under contract. They can't send him to a different school. That would make both of them look bad to the board of directors. They can't do much to try to protect him because that would just bring on more abuse from the other students and might cause problems at home. Their other children might start being 'picked on' because the other students can't pick on James and that would cause resentment between the other children in the family and James. If what I suspect is going on is the truth then we _all_ are in between a rock and a hard place. I'm worried...I don't want the joy and happiness I see in him destroyed. I don't want him to be like I was as a child." We both were silent in thought for a few minutes then Don said "If things were as you think they might be do you think Louisa would send him over to live with you and Katie on her own accord?" I replied "I don't know. I also don't know how Katie is. Sure, she did well on the basic tests that Ryan gave her but the question is how much has she lost? She could have balance problems or nerve damage and not be able to walk or use her arm or hands, her short term memory may be shot, her personality might have changed and she won't be the same as she was before. She could have another aneurism or weakened blood vessel in there that no one could see that bursts and she has a stroke. _There are so many things that could be wrong with her that we don't know about_...then there are the twins to think about. They could have physical or neurological damage that won't be apparent until they are born-scans and tests can't predict everything in this situation."

Don sighed "Martin, the problem with you is that you know _way_ too much! The other problem with you is that you automatically expect the worst when it concerns you personally. You have had a rotten life and I understand why that reaction is hardwired into you. For once in your life you are finally happy and you've subconsciously been expecting that to all fall apart, _just like it has every other time in your life_. Look at me!" I looked up from my scotch and at him "Martin...Your wife is one of the most unique people I have ever met and is capable of things that seem impossible. Did you actually listen to Ryan tonight, _really listen_? If you had you would understand why he is so happy. She shouldn't have been able to move or talk and probably shouldn't have recognized either of you. Take a look at the scans, tests and notes from the early hours after she was brought in. Twenty four hours ago we were, and I mean _all_ of us, expecting to tell you that you should start making plans for long term, round the clock, care for her. Ryan was going to do a DC because he saw it as his _only_ option at that point to keep her alive and to avoid her brain herniating. There was also some question as to at what point do we 'just let nature take its course'. _That_ is why people started coming back to the hospital; they wanted to be there if there was anything they could do to help avoid that from happening. What you saw tonight was nothing short of _miraculous_ and I suspect we are going to see even more miracles with her over the coming days. If I were a betting man I would bet that three months from now the _only problems_ she will be having is that she is as big as a house, frustrated and very uncomfortable, not because of any injuries she sustained but because she heavily pregnant with twins...I can hear her now 'I'm a waddling condo in fashions by Good Year.' Did you know that Claire got her a size 3XL T-shirt that says 'got milk?' on it?" I smiled and shook my head "_Oh gawd_...knowing her that will become her favorite thing to wear!" He laughed "They already have a pool going to see how long it takes for it to mystically 'disappear'-they know it will drive you nuts! Those two are an evil combination!"

I was starting to nod off, Don must've seen me because he got up and said "We've all had a long day; I'm going home and crawling into bed. I suggest you do the same. I'll lock the door on the way out." I replied "Thanks, Don...for everything!" I got up and wearily went upstairs and crawled into bed. I grabbed Katie's pillow and cuddled it, wishing it were her. I fell asleep almost immediately. I was too tired to dream.


	74. Chapter 74-Water of Wonders

**_Chapter 74: Water of Wonders_**

The gentle sound of the rain softly woke me from my dreamless sleep. A grey day, an empty bed. I rolled over and cuddled her pillow again, her scent and the scent of her linen spray was comforting. I told myself "She will be _just fine_. A few more scars, nothing more." A conceit, perhaps...but a good one. In looking at the room I could tell what she had been up to before the accident. She had changed out of the shorts and T-shirt she wears around the house when no one is here and she is cleaning, they were still lying on the bed when we got home. She had planned on putting them back on when she came home otherwise they would've been in the hamper. On the floor were her colorful ZEMgear tabi shoes, a strange looking pair of shoes that are...well, I don't know how to describe them. All I know is that she likes to wear them around the house when she isn't running around barefoot. Highly unusual shoes for a highly unusual woman. A laundry basket sat on the floor, its contents were the set of sheets she had stripped off the bed and used towels. I recognized the sheets; they were the ones that were on the bed the day I left for London. She had planned on washing them after she had returned from grocery shopping, the basket sitting in the middle of the floor told me that. If she was planning on washing them later she would've put them in the hamper.

I made the bed then went and took a shower; she hadn't gotten around to putting out new towels so I grabbed a couple from the linen closet before getting in. While I showered I looked at her side of the vanity. It was pretty sparse compared to the other women I had lived with before. Edith had a lot of stuff but it was always organized like a surgical instrument tray. Louisa had massive amounts of stuff all in one big, disorganized jumble. All Katie had on her side of the vanity was a bottle of Dr. Bronner's unscented soap next to the sink, toothpaste and toothbrush in their holder, hair brush, deodorant and a couple of bottles of her 'regular' perfumes. I knew which perfume she had worn that day because the bottle hadn't been put back in its usual place; it was Eau des Merveilles-'water of wonders'. I also knew because the faint scent of it still lingered in the air. She kept her bottles of Vol du Nuit and Mitsouko in a box in the drawer to keep them out of the light and from being accidentally knocked over or broken. She only wore makeup on special occasions and they were stored in two neat bags in the drawer with her perfume. All she did to her hair was wash, towel dry and brush it-no blow dryers, curlers or curling irons. While I shaved I made the observation that if you want to know a woman at a glance look at her side of the vanity and what perfumes she owned. As I dried myself after my shower and put my robe on I encapsulated the thoughts on the vanities of the three women I had lived with in my life.

Edith-Organized to almost OCD levels. Expensive tastes but the selection was based on what was fashionable, not what truly suited her. When the newest 'must have' came into vogue she obtained it and threw out the old, even if it was almost brand new. She didn't care and had no loyalties to any product. Her perfumes were treated the same way-they would be the latest fashionable ones, the old ones binned. It seemed to make no difference to her what they smelled like or if some were not truly suited to her body chemistry. She was more concerned about image than anything else.

Louisa-Highly disorganized to the point of being messy, changes her mind frequently. Her tastes were any way the wind blew and that wind blew from all directions and at hurricane force at times. I never knew there were that many different types and brands of face and hand crème, eyeliner and mascara-most of them were half used and half forgotten in the pile. Her perfumes ran the gamut and, like her makeup, most half used and forgotten. They were mostly floral and often clashed with her body chemistry, sometimes horribly so.

Katie-A natural woman who needed little to enhance her natural beauty and knew it. Her (relatively) few daily items neatly arranged on the counter, there was an almost Zen like quality to how she arranged them. The ones that were occasionally used were stored neatly in the drawers. Her perfumes tended to be woody, spicy, earthy, with just a hint of ambergris, flowers or citrus in them. All of them worked _perfectly_ with her body chemistry, some mind-blowingly so. I picked up the bottle of the one she wore on the day of the accident and remembered how it smelled on her. Every time she wore it after we came back from our honeymoon it instantly triggered in me the memory of the day we left Akaroa on the Isilme. It _was_ the smell of the wind in the sails...the aroma of mossy woods and grass wafting in on the cool breeze to mingle with the scent of the sea spray...a hint of the orange she had with breakfast...her hair blowing in the wind...the smile on her face...

A small hand tugged on my robe "Daddy, are you daydreaming?" I set the bottle down and picked up James, gave him a hug and a kiss then sat him on the vanity "Good morning, James! To answer your question-yes, I was." He picked up the bottle "This is a pretty bottle, what does it say?" I smiled "It says Eau des Merveilles, It's French and it means 'water of wonders'. It was the perfume Katie was wearing the day she was in the accident." He gave me a hug "She will be OK, I _know_ she will!" He picked up the bottle again and sniffed it "It smells like her...she always smells good!" I nodded in agreement. "Well, young man, shall we go and have some breakfast?" he hopped down off the vanity "Yes! I'm hungry!" I took his hand in mine "Let's go see what we have. Katie was coming back from the grocery store when she got into the accident so I'm not sure what we _do_ have. We'll have to get some groceries later." I hadn't been in the kitchen since we got home. On the counter was a note from Peter.

_Dear Dr. Ellingham,_

_We went down to the hospital as soon as we heard what had happened and saw her as they were wheeling her out of the ER to the OR. We really like Katie and the sight of her so seriously injured was sickening. While we were there waiting for news Don asked us if we could go and get Katie's purse from the police and the rest of her belongings from her car at the impound lot. The car is a total loss; they had to cut it apart to get her out! _

_I put her purse on her desk where she usually leaves it and hung up her keys on the key rack. The hoodie sweat shirt jacket that was on the passenger seat of the car was soaked in blood so we threw it away. They cut her clothes off at the hospital and those were thrown out by the hospital staff-they were ruined. I don't know what happened to her shoes, I'm guessing they were thrown out too. We tried to salvage what we could from the groceries that were in the back of the car. All of the fresh items were warm and spoiled by the time we got there so we threw those away, most of the nonperishables were still good so we brought them home and put them away as best we could. If something ended up in the wrong place I apologize. Minh and I went to the grocery store and bought some fresh eggs, milk, fruit and veg so you would have something in the fridge until you have a chance to sort things out. We'll be back Sunday afternoon, leave me a list of items that you need or want and Minh and I will be happy to get them for you. If there is anything else that needs to be done please let us know._

_We hope she is doing well by the time you read this note and we'll see you Sunday afternoon. _

_Peter_

That was thoughtful of them. After taking stock of what we had we decided on egg and soldiers, sliced melon and orange juice. After we ate I decided to ask him about what he said on the plane. I sat down on the couch and motioned for him to sit down next to me "James, remember what you said on the plane yesterday? I wanted to ask you about that. What's happening that has made you so upset that you would ask if you could come here and live with us?" He looked down and said quietly "I just don't want to live there anymore. I want to come live with you and Katie." I picked him up and cradled him "Please tell me what is wrong, _it's very important to me_. I love you and I want to help but I can't help if I don't know what's going on." He looked into my eyes and tears were starting to well up in his _"It's all so awful! I'm so scared!"_ I said gently, trying to keep a soothing tone to my voice "Why are you scared?" He sighed "The kids are so mean there! They call me names, beat me up and do really mean things like hide my things and rip up my homework. They told me that if I tell anyone they will make me pay for it. When mummy asks me where I got the bruises from I told her I was climbing a tree and fell down or I got them playing. I don't like lying to mummy but if I don't mummy will try to go after those kids and that will only make it worse for me. They're all rich kids and they know they aren't going to get thrown out of school. Bryan hangs out with those kids and he told me that if I tell he'll get me too."

Oh god...this is a mess! Shades of my childhood but at least I didn't have a step brother helping them out. I asked "Do any of the other children in the family know about this?" He sighed "They _all_ know but they want to be friends with Bryan's friends, too. Before mummy and Stephan got married mummy and I lived in Port Wenn and Stephan lived in Wadebridge, after mummy got married we all lived in Port Wenn but they still went to school in Wadebridge. I never went to school with them before and now they're all mad at me because they say that I make them look really dumb. I tell them that I will help them with their homework and stuff but they don't care, they tell me to quit being such a 'smartypants'. _What's so wrong with learning and knowing about different things?_ When I'm here all the kids I've met like learning about things. I learned about the stars in the sky from Sean and all about clouds and weather from Hanna. Max really likes lizards and frogs and told me about some that live here. We all like birds and dinosaurs and I showed them pictures of the birds I've seen and they told me about the ones that live here then I showed them all the videos Katie sent me of the birds and animals she's seen. They're all like me and I had so much fun with them."

I rocked him and dried his tears, we sat silently looking into each other's eyes for a few minutes. I had to think of what to say to him now to comfort him and calm him. I also had to think of a way to discuss this with both Louisa and Stephan in such a way that they didn't feel threatened. I wished I could discuss this with Katie, but I can't…not right now at least. I gave him a kiss "I am very sorry that all these things have happened to you. I know mummy and Stephan would feel bad if they knew what was going on, too. We _need to tell them_ so they will understand and we will all be able to help you. When we go back to England you and I will sit down with them and talk about it. Together we will try to find a way to solve this. I know how hard it is for you right now, I went through the same thing when I was your age but my mummy and daddy didn't care about me-_I do care about you!_ _I love you and will do_ _everything in my power to help you_ but things are not as easy as they might appear. There are 'adult things' that need to be considered and dealt with, some of them can be quite hard to resolve but all of us adults will do our best to do so." He said "Can I stay here until all the 'adult things' are done?" I replied "Mummy would be very sad and hurt if you did that. I know you love her and love Stephan and you don't want them to feel bad, do you?" He thought about it for a moment, sighed and replied "I love them and I know they love me but right now they're too busy getting everything ready for the baby, they wouldn't miss me too much." It was my turn to sigh "As much as I would love to have you here with us I can't. One of the 'adult things' I spoke of earlier is what we can and cannot do under the law. The terms of mummy and my divorce state that I am not the custodial parent, I am only allowed visitation. What that means is that under the law you _must_ live with mummy, I am only allowed to come and visit you from time to time and I need permission from mummy to bring you here to visit. The first thing we need to do is to start to work on making things better for you at home and we will do that when we go back to England. We _have_to start there." He had a resigned look on his face and was quiet, I knew that he felt like the his only escape route had closed just as he was about to get out. I felt the same when Auntie Joan said that my parents wouldn't allow me to visit her anymore. "I love you and I promise that I will do everything I can to make things better for you, and by everything I mean _everything!"_ He looked at me and smiled "Promise?" I hugged him and said "I promise!" He gave me a big hug and kiss "I love you, daddy! I knew you would understand!" I kissed him "I _do understand_ and I love you so much!" I looked at the clock on the mantle and said "Shall we go see how Katie is feeling today? She should be awake soon." He climbed down out of my lap "Yes! Can we bring her some flowers so she has something pretty to look at?" I replied "Maybe later when she is moved to a regular room. She can't have them where she is now." James asked "Can I wear my scrubs and lab coat to go see her?" I thought for a moment, he likes wearing them and it might help take his mind off our discussion and his problems. "Sure, let's go put ours on. We'll take some regular clothes with us, too, in case you want to go play with Sean and Hanna later." We changed into scrubs and lab coats. I noted that I will have to ask Justine to order him a new set, he's growing. They still fit but won't the next time around. I dug out one of my spare stethoscopes and draped it around his neck. We looked at ourselves in the mirror-he really _is_ a stamped out miniature of me.

The rain was pouring down and the streets were starting to flood. It matched my mood, to paraphrase a line from an old song 'seems like it's raining all over_ my_ world'. My wife is hospitalized in serious but stable condition, my son is having serious problems at home and school-neither situation will be resolved easily or soon. At least James will have one parent who _will_ fight for him, I had no one. I asked myself how far I will take the fight if need be, the immediate response was _all the way_-though I doubted that I would have to. Both Louisa and Stephan are wise and good people, once they find out about this they will be _horrified_ and it _will_ be resolved. Louisa, more than anyone outside of Katie, Aunt Ruth and my late Aunt Joan knows how much this news cuts to the very core of my being. I parked the car and we went into the building and headed towards her room. As we approached I heard her voice say hoarsely "This crap is _way_ too easy, Claire-ask me something harder." We stopped dead in our tracks, I looked at James and he had a grin on his face as big as mine. I looked at the nurses at the nurses' station-they all smiled and nodded or gave a 'thumbs up'. I heard Claire's voice "What are the words, Katie?" Katie laughed and said "Ow...it hurts to laugh...Bite. Me. Claire." She said "Correct! Your next three words will be the names of the capitals of South Dakota, Florida and Nevada. How's that for harder?" Katie replied "They're better then telling me to bite you. Peel me another ice chip...thanks...it'd be better if I had some hottie male nurse to do it but I guess you'll have to do for now...you know that ice chips are a _highly underrated treat_?" Claire saw us and smiled "How about I get you some hottie male surgeon with a bonus hottie midget surgeon to peel you some ice chips?" Katie chuckled "Does one of them have a peacock feather fan?" Claire replied "He's got feathers, but I ain't going there to find out if he's got a fan of them. That's _your job!"_

We applied hand sanitizer to our hands and put gloves on, though the smallest gloves were a bit big on James's hands. When we were ready we rounded the corner and walked into the room, Katie smiled at us. She still looked like she had been through a hurricane but to me she was beautiful. She was lucid, smiling and even cracking jokes. Claire said "Will these two do? Sorry, it's the best I could do on short notice...Dr.'s Ellingham pere et fil reporting for ice chip peeling duty!" Katie replied "They certainly will! You got me the two hottest surgeons in town..." Claire laughed "I'll leave you two to shovel ice chips in her mouth on demand and she can be _very demanding!_ God...she is so _pushy!_ I'm gonna grab something to eat. Ryan should be here soon. Oh, before I go what are the words, Katie?" She replied "Pierre, Tallahassee and Carson City." Claire smiled "Correct! You wanted tough, here goes...The next three words will be the names of the state birds of Alaska, Minnesota and the _great state_ of New York. You think about _that_ while I grab something to eat." She looked at the both of us "No cheating allowed! Don't give her the answers and don't remind her of the question! OK, I'm off...see you in a bit!" We walked over to her, I leaned down and kissed her. I said softly "I love you, sweetheart! I am overjoyed to see you awake and smiling again! How are you feeling today?" She smiled "I love you so much! I'm feeling pretty good...at least the acid flashbacks have stopped. My mouth tastes like a dragon used it for a toilet and my throat feels like it's been reamed out with a wire brush. _My head really hurts...__everything__ hurts_...I have tubes stuck into me in places I don't even _want_ to think about and _your_ children are kicking up a storm which _isn't helping_." I smiled and placed my hand gently on her belly, I felt them moving around. "I brought you a visitor..." I pulled over a chair for James to stand on and he climbed up on it. He leaned over very carefully to give her a kiss on her cheek "I love you, Katie! I'm so happy to see you awake and smiling! We were _so worried_ about you!" She gave him a kiss and slowly moved her hand to brush the hair out of his eyes "I love you, too!...I'm _so glad_ you are here...I'm sorry that I'm in here and not at home with you two..." I picked James up, sat down in the chair and sat James down in my lap, we both held her hand. James asked if he could feel the babies move, she smiled "...just be careful...everything hurts..." He _very carefully_ reached over and placed his hand on her belly, after a few seconds he smiled "Wow!"

We sat there and held her hand while James told Katie about all that happened yesterday on his journey to Houston while she listened and smiled. He didn't tell her about what we had discussed about his problems. He is a very wise child, he knew that it wasn't the time or place to do so. Claire came back and pulled up a chair next to us "What are the words?" Katie replied "Willow Ptarmigan, Common Loon and Bluebird." Claire smiled "Ptarmigan, Loon and Bluebird would've been fine-you get bonus points for the rest. Showoff!" James asked if they were playing a game and if we could join in. I explained "What Claire is doing is testing Katie's short term memory. It is a kind of game, I guess." James smiled "Can I ask the next question?" Claire said "Sure, it has to be something she might already know, though." He thought for a moment "What are the three kinds of rocks?" I smiled and said "That is a good question for this game." Claire picked up Katie's chart and handed it to me "Why don't you read this while I catch up on the adventures of James." I took it and started to read it while Claire and James talked; Katie listened and occasionally asked a question or commented. She was getting tired and Claire and I knew it so Claire cleverly ramped things down by giving me the chart to read and talking to James thus allowing Katie to take part while not feeling like she had to do so actively.

What I saw in the chart was amazing, astounding..._miraculous_...with the kinds of injuries she had sustained and the procedures performed there was _no other way_ to describe the situation. She had slept through the night and had awoken at 7:32am. She was lucid and articulate. Claire had noted in her chart "I know this patient personally and her demeanor, conversation, manner of speech and attitudes are consistent with her personality and intelligence level." Her complaints on awaking were pain, hunger and thirst-all quite natural considering the situation. She was NPO and was _not_ happy that they wouldn't give her something to eat. It had been noted that 'she specifically requested a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a Coke from Goode Company for breakfast and was _very unhappy_ that she had to settle for ice chips'. Claire had run her through the regular battery of tests and she passed them all with flying colors. Blood and urine tests came back clean and fluid input/output ratios were within normal parameters. She did complain that she was experiencing tingling and numbness in the fingers of her right hand stating that it didn't hurt but was 'damned annoying'. The situation with her neck and shoulder were better but there was still a lot of swelling and irritation. Her wrist was sprained and swollen too. I thought to myself that she might need nerve decompression surgery at a later date if things didn't start to abate soon. The twins vitals had been normal and stable through the night, they also had been 'quiet'-moving very little. They 'woke up' shortly after their mother judging from the notations concerning her complaints that they were 'trying to reroute her plumbing'. One notation that both Dr. Hu and Claire had made was interesting "Patient had episodes of atypical brain activity at approximately 45 minute intervals from 8:47pm until she awakened at 7:32am-see EEG for exact times, duration and nature of this activity." I looked up when Claire asked her "What are the three words, Katie?" She had begun to fall asleep and answered sleepily "igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary." then drifted off to sleep. I looked at her and said "We should clear out for a while and let her sleep." Claire said "That might be a good idea. My shift was done 45 minutes ago, I should get home. Jerry and I are going up to College Station this evening and I need a nap."


	75. Chapter 75-Cube Me, Baby!

**_Chapter 75: Cube Me, Baby!_**

The door slid open on the lift to reveal Ryan, Matsuko, Sean and Hanna. Sean and Hanna both said "James!" and the adults laughed and greeted each other while the children talked excitedly (but softly) amongst themselves. Matsuko excused herself so she could go and check on how Katie was doing. Ryan pulled me aside and said "We're just stopping by to check on Katie before heading out for the day. We're meeting Karl, Pam and Robin for lunch then spending the afternoon playing laser tag with the kids. We'd be happy to take James along. It would give you some time alone and give James a needed distraction." I thought about it for a moment "I know he would love it and, you're right, he _does_ need a distraction. He's got a lot on his plate at the moment." Ryan became concerned "Something wrong?" I looked at James happily chatting away with Sean and Hanna "He's had a rough go of it lately. It's a long story..." Ryan picked up on the cue "I understand. We can talk about it later." We walked back to the children; before I could mention it James asked "Sean and Hanna asked me if I could go play laser tag with them. May I go with them?" I replied "Yes, you may. You'll have to change your clothes, though." I said to Ryan "I'll take him to change his clothes and meet you back here." I took James's hand and said "Let's get you ready to go, shall we?" He smiled "Ok, daddy!" As we walked to my office he said "Will you be OK by yourself, daddy?" I smiled at him "Yes, I'll be OK, in fact I'm glad that you'll be off with them having fun. Katie is doing much better and I'm sure she'd be glad that you are off having some fun, too. I will spend some time with her and when she goes to sleep I'll go do the grocery shopping while you're off with them."

By the time we got back Ran and Matsuko had finished their examinations. They were giving the nurses and the resident's instructions and making notations on her chart. Ryan saw us and said "Almost finished, you ready to go, James?" He smiled and said he was. I asked "How is she doing?" He finished his notes and handed her chart back to the nurse "Surprisingly well, actually. I'm especially pleased that her eyesight is returning to normal, there was some concern about that. The numbness and tingling in her hand is worrying, though. I ordered another round of scans just to make sure we didn't miss anything or something new hasn't emerged. Ivan will be stopping by later to evaluate her neck and shoulder injuries." Matsuko added "The twins are doing well, everything looks good so far. I'm pleased that they're moving around, even though Katie isn't at the moment. They keep waking her up. I was becoming concerned-they were being a bit too quiet given their activity level before the accident." Ryan said "It's almost noon, we better head out." He said to the children "You guys ready to go?" They all excitedly replied that they were. I crouched down and gave James a hug and tousled his hair "You have fun and be a good boy for Ryan and Matsuko. I love you and I'll see you in a couple of hours." James hugged and kissed me "I love you, daddy! I'll be a good boy, I promise!" The lift arrived and they got on and were gone. I stood there looking at the door for a moment then headed back to Katie's room.

She was awake and said "Hello, my love! Where's James?" I gave her a kiss then pulled up the chair, sat down and held her hand. "I love you, sweetheart! James went with Ryan, Matsuko, Karl and Pam and their children to go have lunch and play laser tag." She smiled "That's good...it isn't much fun for a six year old to hang around a hospital all day." I caressed her hand "How are _you_ feeling? Both Ryan and Matsuko said you are doing really well. I did hear Ryan give instructions that you can have soft foods." She chuckled "Oh joy...jello and broth...maybe if I get lucky I'll get some pudding...Could you peel me an ice chip, please?" I smiled and popped an ice chip in her mouth and kissed her "I'll peel you some jello cubes, too, sweetheart! It'll be great!" She giggled (it was wonderful to hear her giggle again!) "_Ooh, baby!_ This _is_ a full service hospital! Anyway, I _am_ feeling better...just tired. I have one hell of a headache and it still bothers my eyes when they turn the overhead lights on...How are _you_ doing, my love? You look a bit careworn." I replied "Just tired...and worried." She squeezed my hand "What are you worried about? I'm going to guess it isn't just me and the twins." I sighed "I'm worried about James, too." She tried to adjust herself in the bed and I helped her "Thanks...tell me what's wrong...maybe I can help..." I told her what James had told me "I don't know what to do about this situation. It's a mess." She sighed "I'm going to close my eyes...it helps to tone down the headache if I do...You're right, it _is_ a mess...they will have a hard time dealing with it due to their positions at the school...the fact that the bullies are all rich kids and their parents are on the board doesn't help...you've got to go big or stay home on this one..." I replied "How do you mean?" She was silent for a minute or two; I thought she had gone to sleep. Then she said "You are the _only one_ who can be the 'bad guy' in this situation...and it _needs_ a 'bad guy'..." I was puzzled "I don't understand."

She squeezed my hand "It might take me a while to get this all out...and it might not make sense." She was silent for a minute or two, I put my free hand on hers and caressed it. It _did_ take her quite some time to get all of what she had to say out "Martin, you're going to have to go nuclear on them to shut it down permanently...never bring a knife to a gunfight... you better bring nukes...scorch the earth...Louisa and Stephan have an out on this one with you...they can say they have no control over what _you_ do...keyword is _you_...you are his father and you are divorced from Louisa...Stephan has no legal rights in this particular matter when it comes to James..._that gives them cover_...what you need to do is go after the kids parents...tell them if their kids don't stop it you will lawyer up and stop it _for_ them...they are responsible for their kids behavior legally...better yet bring lawyers with you...ask Danny if he has any junk yard dogs in his London office...you'll need a couple for this to work...threaten to file charges and request an ASBO on their kids if it doesn't stop...tell them heaven help them if one of their kids hurts James because no one else will...tell them that James has already been beaten up by them and the bruises have been noted...tell them you know that Stephan's hands are tied because of their position on the board...if either one of their jobs is affected by your actions _you_ will come after them...the parents will try to laugh it off...say you have no proof...probably insult you..._inside they're scared_...think of them as Chihuahua's yipping while peeing on the floor from fright...be _very__ cold_ with them..._pissed off_ Martin Ellingham cold..._you're really __scary__ when you do that_...have lawyers have papers ready to file...show them to the parents...tell them they can be filed by the end of the day...then tell them it's their choice what happens next...if they laugh tell them 'roll the dice, pay the price'...too bad I'm not in good shape...I'd have them pissing their pants by the time I got done with them..." She took a deep breath and said "sleepy..." I got up and kissed her "Sleep, my love..." then sat down and took her hand again while she drifted off to sleep. I thought of how she slapped Edith down the other day and could only imagine what would happen to the parents of those kids. She _would_ have them pissing their pants!

After an hour or so I was getting hungry so I gently let go of her hand and kissed her then headed downstairs to get something to eat. As I ate I thought about what she said. I wasn't really keen on the idea but it might just be the best way to handle it depending on the legalities. I didn't give a damn if I ended up being the 'bad guy' if it got these kids to stop harassing James-it would be a bonus if it ensured that Louisa and Stephan were protected from any fallout. Showing up in full blown 'Martin Ellingham nuclear rant' mode accompanied by 'junk yard dog' solicitors from a very prestigious legal firm chomping at the bit to file would instill fear into most people. Especially the type of people that these parents are, in their circle of society a child with an ASBO is not considered fashionable. It would protect Louisa and Stephan-they could say they tried to stop me but couldn't, etc. The other members of the board wouldn't risk trying anything to run Stephan and Louisa off for fear of legal reprisal and the fear of me darkening their door again so they wouldn't support these kids' parents if they wanted to attempt anything of that nature. I decided to call Danny tomorrow and ask him to look into it and if feasible mention it as a possible solution when I talk to Louisa and Stephan about this when I take James back. The solicitors would have a week to look into the legalities and draw up papers if it looks like it would work from a legal standpoint. If it did work it would be beneficial for all the people I cared about. James would stop being harassed and bullied, Stephan and Louisa's positions would be protected and I would have a good time scaring the living daylights out of some horrible parents. The only problem I could see would be informing Stephan and Louisa of James's sibling's role in all of this and how he felt about it. Perhaps I should leave that alone for right now, that behavior out of them may cease once Bryan's 'friends' are stopped. I also had to make sure that Louisa and Stephan were assured that I did not find fault in anything they did or did not do. James had admitted he has never told them that this had been going on and has been lying to them to cover it up. The best outcome would be that James would be happy again and wouldn't want to leave his mum. That was very important to me, not because I didn't want James with me but because it would upset Louisa. Despite all that happened between us I know how much she loves James. I also know that, as I told Stephan, that they could've made it very difficult for me to have any kind of relationship with James. I wanted James to always think of us as his "two mummy's and two daddies". I have to remember to thank Chris once again for all the advice he gave me when we were getting divorced. It, more than anything, ensured that Louisa and I remained good friends after it was all over.

Thinking about all of that reminded me that I needed to call Louisa-she had asked me to give her a call to let them know how Katie was. I looked at the time and decided to give her a call. She answered on the third ring "Hello, Martin! How is Katie?" I replied "Doing surprisingly well, actually. She passed all the basic tests with flying colors-has no apparent paralysis, is lucid, short term memory is sound, overall memory and intelligence seems to not be affected, she knows who everyone is that she should know-she was even cracking jokes with Claire this morning! She does have some shoulder and neck problems that may be affecting her right arm and hand. We have to wait for the swelling to go down to truly assess the situation. It may also be caused by the swelling in her wrist-it is badly sprained and swollen. She may have some balance and mobility problems, too, but those won't be apparent until she is able to get out of bed. All in all it is it is rather miraculous, even Ryan thinks so." Louisa said cheerily "Oh, that _is_ good news! We were so worried! How are the twins?" I took a sip of coffee "No problems there either as far as Matsuko can tell. They were fairly quiet, not moving much, but they are back to normal movement patterns." Louisa sighed in relief "That is wonderful to hear, it truly is! I know how much you two love them already and was sick with worry that she might lose them. Back in May when you two came to pick up James Katie and I talked about babies and things when you and Stephan were out and about. Remember when you two came back and saw us sitting at the table with the big pile of used tissues? That is what we were talking about. She was so afraid that she was too old to have a baby...little did she know she was already pregnant! She was so happy when she found out, I was happy for you both, too. I have watched you grow from a man who was afraid to pick up his own child into a wonderful father. I can tell just from how you talk about the twins just how much you already love and care for them." I replied "I owe all of that to you and will always be grateful for the beautiful gift you gave me in James." I could tell from her breathing that she was trying not to cry "I feel the same way, you know that..." She then changed the subject to avoid crying "Before I forget thank you for letting us stay in this suite! My god, it's like a palace! The children love it, Stephan _especially loves it_ because he's getting his own little 'holiday' away from my moodiness. _I love it_, I don't have to do_ anything_ but relax and be pampered. They have a masseuse here at the spa that is certified to give massages to pregnant women and I've been down to see her twice. _It feels so good_; my back has been killing me the last month and has made me especially grumpy. Poor Stephan, he has borne the brunt of that!" I smiled knowing that Stephan was getting his 'holiday' "It is _our_ pleasure...Katie was the one that came up with the idea initially and I thought it was a very good one. We know how hard it has been for all of you the past few months with the move and everything else. All of you needed a nice holiday." Louisa laughed "We really did need one that is for sure!"

I could hear her get up and move "One moment..." I heard her close the door and from the echoes I surmised that she was in one of the bathrooms "I wanted to get away from the children to say something to you in private. We were going to tell you about this today when we had our 'catch up' as originally planned but events changed those plans. We wanted to let you know that there have been some difficulties with James. He has been having a bit of rough go adjusting and to top it off he is having problems with some of the children at the school. He won't admit to us that it is going on and _I fear that it might be worse than we know_. _All__ the signs are there_...We are trying _very hard_ to find out _exactly_ what is going on but you know how it is. Remember the 'Dare Club' and how hard it was for me to pin down the instigators of it and gather evidence so I could discipline them? I don't want to get into this in depth right now because the children are in the other room but when you bring James back we'll get a babysitter and go somewhere private so we can discuss it." Inwardly I breathed a sigh of relief "James has told me all about it and I was going to discuss it with you and Stephan when I brought him back. I know who one of the kids is that is causing the trouble. I also have a plan to shut it down cold and in such a way that it will not reoccur and there will be _no problems _for you and Stephan. I know you don't want to get into this now but one of the instigators is a child who has a parent on the board of directors. I will explain in detail when I return James to you but I don't want you or Stephan to worry about this bit of news. I _will_ take care of it and it will be dealt with in such a way that way you two are protected. In fact, if my plan is feasible, you two can sit back and, as Katie would say, 'enjoy the floor show'. I have to do some research into it but if it is possible to carry out it _will_ work and I will _enjoy_ doing it." Louisa heaved a sigh of relief "Oh, thank god! I was _so afraid_ to tell you about this! I _know_ what you went through as a child and was afraid you would be so angry at us about it! We have been trying very hard to find out what is going on and I was hoping that James would tell you. We couldn't get him to talk about it."

I heard her open the door and walk back out into the main room "Well, Martin...I have to get the children ready for bed so will talk to you later. We are elated that Katie is doing so well! Kiss James for us!" I laughed "Nicely done! I will tell Katie that you said hello when she wakes up and will let you know how my research goes into my plan. Tell Stephan about it and if he has any questions or comments to let me know. I will also give James a kiss and hug for both of you. Good night and don't worry, Louisa!" She replied "Good night, Martin! See you next week and thank you again!" I was so relieved...I was dreading having to bring the subject up with them. I got up and started to head back to Katie's room, as I passed by I saw the jello cups and decided to get her some jello cubes. I bought her two-one strawberry and one raspberry. I also asked for some toothpicks with the frilly things on them. I smiled as I got on the lift with the two cups of brightly colored gelatin; an elderly lady smiled at me and said "Bringing your wife a treat?" I replied "Yes, this morning she thought ice chips were an underrated treat, she's going to think jello is _sheer decadence_." The lady laughed "She's going to think she has the best husband in the world...and you know what? She'd be right. I could tell by the way you were smiling that you were taking those cups of jello to someone you love very much." I replied "Thank you for the kind compliment. I _do_ love her and I try to be a good husband." The lift stopped at my floor, I got off and walked to her room. She was awake and I said "I come bearing precious gifts-jewels of gelatin from the café!" She smiled and said "Peel me a cube, babycakes!" I kissed her and sat on the edge of the bed, flourished one of the frilly toothpicks and stuck it into a cube of jello "You certainly _do _know how to treat a lady right! Jello on a stick! _Cube me, baby!"_ she opened wide and I put the cube in her mouth and slid it off the toothpick. She smiled "Jello...it's not just for wrestling in anymore..." I shot her an eyebrow and she giggled "Don't ask...you don't want to know..._cube me, baby!"_

For the first time in two days I felt that everything was going to be alright...


	76. Chapter 76: An Alaska Sized Can

**_Chapter 76: An Alaska Sized Can _**

The week with James was passing by swiftly. During that week I learned just how wonderful people can be-it was a revelation to me. Most of my life I had very few people I could call on, during this week I had people offering to help keep James occupied to give me some time alone with Katie and to keep him from living at the hospital. Peter and Minh took James to watch them rehearse the band's new routine; they even got him a little fedora to wear so he could be a part of the MOB, too. He had play dates with Sean, Hanna and Robin after they came home from school. During the mornings/early afternoons James and I would go do things together or just be together talking and playing-we went to the zoo, to the Children's Museum, down to Moody Gardens. We had a couple of lightsaber battles. We went to the model shop in Rice Village and bought a very intricate and detailed model kit of the P-40 Tiger Shark Katie's grandfather flew and we built that together in the evenings after dinner. We really enjoyed assembling it together and discovered a new hobby that we both found interesting and pleasurable. Not only did it allow us to find pleasure in an activity we enjoyed, it also provided an opportunity to teach James a bit of history. The plane was to be his Christmas gift to her. When it was finished we carefully boxed it up and wrapped it then we asked Justine to hide it in her supply cabinet so Katie wouldn't know about it until Christmas. In the late afternoons we would go visit Katie then he'd go play or was off with Peter and Minh so Katie and I could have some time alone. She was getting a bit depressed and frustrated with everything. The depression was not surprising, many people who suffer the kinds of injuries she has become depressed. She was trying to battle it, telling herself that it was 'just her scrambled brain and the hormones talking' but still would end up being rather tearful and pessimistic. She was frustrated with being confined to bed, she wanted to get up and start working on making herself better. She wanted to go home. She wanted to fly. She was worried about the twins. She was _afraid_. It was hard for me to deal with because I felt so _helpless_-I'm used to being in control of medical situations. In her case I could do nothing to help heal her outside of giving her all my love and to support and comfort her. I guess sometimes love can be the best medicine of all because her depression was beginning to lessen and she was getting back to her 'old self'. She still wanted to get out of bed and wanted a cheeseburger, though.

I had called Danny on Sunday and explained the situation with James. He became rather angry about it all "James is a great kid and hearing about this _really pisses me off. _I'll give Nigel a call tomorrow morning and will have him handle this _personally_. I'll have him contact you to get information concerning the situation. You'll have to talk to Stephan and Louisa, too. He'll probably want to set up a conference call to discuss the situation and to plan." Nigel is the head of the London office of Danny's legal firm and, as Don said about me, his reputation _certainly_ does precede him. I know of a few cases where people were advised by their solicitors to drop their claims or accept what was being offered when they heard they would be going up against him. He instills fear and will give a demonstration as to why he is feared to those who decide to go ahead with their lawsuits. I knew him casually from my days at Oxford, he was two years behind me. We'd occasionally play chess in the common room-not so much out of friendship (though we enjoyed each other's company) but because we were the only ones who gave the other a true challenge at the game. He is a superb tactician-he can be both subtle and ruthless. Nigel gave me a call Monday morning and we discussed the situation-he needed names, dates, places, times, etc. I gave him Stephan and Louisa's phone numbers so he could call them and interview them though I did tell him to let me talk to Louisa first to let them know so they wouldn't be surprised by it. Then I had to broach the subject again with James-I hated to because he was getting back to his normal bubbly, happy self and didn't want to dampen that. It was difficult but I did manage to get the names of the bullies out of him and some of the things they had done to him after many tears. He has an excellent memory and had remembered most of the dates, places and approximate times of the occurrences. It broke my heart and I had to fight very hard to control my anger as I listened to him. I had secretly recorded the conversation so I would not forget anything he said-I didn't want to have to ask him about it again if I forgot a detail that Nigel might need. It was very hard typing up the report for Nigel, it poured gasoline on the already raging fire of my anger and I hardly slept that night. I wanted to throttle the boys who had done those things to my beautiful son...then I thought about what Katie had told me "Remember the old Klingon proverb-_'Revenge is a dish best served cold'" _The flames started to abate and I became _very_ cold...

Nigel arranged a conference call once he had interviewed Louisa and Stephan and had read the report I sent him. I had told Ryan and Matsuko what was going on in private and they were horrified, they offered to take James over to their house for a play date with Sean and Hanna so he wouldn't be around during the conference call. Louisa and Stephan were still in London and had the concierge arrange for a child-minder for them so they could go to Nigel's office. They told the children they were going to have a 'date night'. This didn't upset the children-apparently Louisa and Stephan have a 'date night' once or twice a month. The appointed time arrived; I sat down at my desk and sipped an espresso while I waited for the Skype call to come. It came and I saw them sitting in a very well appointed conference room-Nigel had aged but his eyes were the same, deep, penetrating and unyielding. Louisa and Stephan looked a bit overwhelmed but pleased and relieved. Nigel started off "Good afternoon, Martin! It's been a very long time...I didn't know you had moved to Texas...You still play chess?" I replied "Occasionally. My wife plays a good but very unconventional game; she'd give you a challenge." Nigel replied "We'll have to play a game sometime when you two are over here and she is feeling better. Louisa and Stephan told me about the accident, they also told me that you two are expecting twins. Congratulations! Now to the matter at hand...Louisa and Stephan have limited time, they told their children they'd only be gone for an hour or two and we have _much_ to discuss." The gist of the discussion that followed was that, thanks to the information provided by James, Louisa and Stephan, the plan was very feasible. They had interviewed Bryan to find out what he knew and to see if his information corroborated James's-it had. Louisa and Stephan had confiscated all the children's phones and other electronic items as not only as a punishment but to prevent them from contacting the children involved.

The plan would work and Nigel added "It will put _the fear of god _into those children's parents. After reading the details of this case it would give me great pleasure to do so, I know it would give you great pleasure to do so, too...I remember _very clearly_ how you can be when you're angry. You can be quite a formidable presence...The cracked rib and bruising documented by GP they took James to on that one occasion gives us plenty of leverage-damage has already been done. _[James never told me about this! He said he just had some bruises! I could feel the fire of my anger flaring to nuclear holocaust levels...He probably knew it would make me very angry so left it out.] _Both of us combined will probably cause heart failure in one of more of them and the rest will be begging for mercy. I have formed a team to deal with this case and they are composing and compiling the necessary paperwork as we speak. I have instructed them to put in the necessary riders to ensure that Louisa and Stephan's positions will not be affected unless they want to make them _very wealthy_."

"I have also discussed with Louisa and Stephan the option of being bought out of their contracts on _their terms_ in case they would want that. Despite legal threats there are many other ways of making their and their children's lives _very_ uncomfortable at the school and they might wish to take the money and retire or work elsewhere. We would ensure that if they choose this option they _will_ be very well compensated for it. We have looked into the financial situations of both the parents of the children involved and the school itself-they have the money. We have also looked at their contracts and there are no clauses in them that would affect this kind of action from being carried out or for the board to fight it in court unless they wanted to spend a lot of money just to get laughed out of court and have to pay out more to the Melbury's. The fools on the board never envisioned this kind of situation. They must have _terrible_ solicitors drawing up their contracts and they are very contemptuous of 'the servants' judging by the wording of them. There are holes in their contracts that I could drive a bus through! All we will need to do is fill in the names and meet with the parents and the board. We can have this set up and ready to go next Monday afternoon, the Melbury's have informed me you will be bringing James back Saturday afternoon and departing Tuesday morning. Will that be satisfactory?" I replied "Quite satisfactory, Nigel." He looked at Louisa and Stephan "What do you say?" They both replied that they thought it was an excellent plan and agreed. Nigel had a faint smile on his face "Right...we'll get the wheels turning on our end and I will meet with you all in Port Wenn Saturday evening and travel with you back to the school on Sunday. I was puzzled "Port Wenn? I thought you were going home after your stay in London." Stephan replied "We decided to change plans. We need to keep Bryan and the rest of the children from contacting the children involved so we decided to go to the house in Port Wenn to finish off our holiday. There is no phone or internet reception at the house-it's been disconnected, we planned on reconnecting it when we went there for the summer. The only phones available will be our personal ones and we will password protect them. The children do not view going to Port Wenn as a 'punishment', they view it as a pleasant ending to their holiday. In fact when we told them the whinging about their electronics subsided considerably-they miss Cornwall and their old friends. There are enough things to do and old friends to visit that they will be quite distracted by it all" I replied "Sounds good. I'll book a room at the hotel in Port Wenn for Saturday night. See all of you Saturday." Nigel smiled "I'll be staying at the hotel, too. Fancy a game of chess and some scotch Saturday night?" I replied "You will need the scotch to drown your sorrows in after I beat you." He laughed "One of us will need it! The parents of those kids and the board will need gallons of it after we get done with them." With that we all said good bye to each other and ended the call.

I went down to the hospital to visit Katie. She was in good spirits-Ryan had told her they were moving her out of the ICU to a private room and that tomorrow she would start PT. I told her about the conference call, she smiled and said "You're gonna open up a Texas sized can of whoop ass on them. They aren't going to know what hit them! Wish I could be there for the floor show. You put on a real good one when you're angry." I smiled at her and said "An Alaska sized can...it's bigger." She laughed and said 'Cube me, baby!"


	77. Chapter 77-Seven of Seven

**_Chapter 77: Seven of Seven_**

Friday proved to be a busy day for us. In the morning we went and visited Katie. She had been moved to her new room so we stopped and bought her some flowers before visiting her. "What's Katie's favorite flower, Daddy?" I thought about it for a minute "She likes all flowers...she's not overly fond of Tulips, though." After some discussion James selected an arrangement of sunflowers, blue hydrangea and roses in a simple circular glass vase. He was quite pleased by his selection and kept sniffing the flowers on the way to the hospital; I must admit that they did smell good.

Before going to visit her we stopped by my office, Justine greeted us "Good morning, Dr. Ellingham! Hello, James, it's so nice to see you again! Those are pretty flowers and they smell so nice, Katie will love them!" James smiled then frowned "We should've bought some flowers for you!" She gave him a hug "It's OK...It's the thought that counts and I appreciate it! You can bring me some next time you visit if you want. Katie needs flowers more than me at the moment..."She noticed the brightly wrapped box I was carrying and asked "What's in the box? A present for Katie?" James smiled "It's her Christmas present. Daddy and I built her an airplane like the one her grandfather flew in the war. We had so much fun building it, it has a zillion pieces! It's really neat looking-it has shark teeth on it!" I added "We were going to ask if you could hide it for us. Knowing her she'll find it if I try to hide it at home or in my office. It's fragile." Justine smiled "I have the perfect place for it. If she does see it I'll say it's a present I'm hiding from my husband." She took the card off it and handed it to me "Hide this in your desk, that way if she _does _see it she won't be tipped off by the card. I'd imagine she'll come up here to visit once she gets mobile. She's already raising hell over there!" I sighed and shook my head "Let me guess...Claire is 'assisting' in her physical therapy." Justine laughed "You _could_ say that. All you need to know is that she's on wheels, now. Your imagination can fill in the blanks..." I groaned "_Oh god!_ We'd better get over there before they do something that I'm going to have to explain to the board." I took James's hand "Let's go and see what kind of havoc Katie and Claire are causing...oh, before we go...Is there anything I need to know about?" Justine looked through her papers on her desk and handed me a red folder "Nope, just the usual stuff...The monthly M&M is scheduled for Wednesday at 10am, I've finished typing and compiling our department's report that you left for me. Here's a hard copy for you to review." I replied "Thank you, Justine! I'll see you Wednesday morning." James set the vase down and gave her a hug "Thank you for hiding Katie's present for me! I'm going to miss you, you're so nice! See you later!" Justine hugged him and gave him a kiss "I'll miss you, too! I'll see you the next time you come for a visit. I'm going to guess you'll need a new set of scrubs and a lab coat the next time I see you, too. I'll order them today. You've grown so much already! You're going to be really tall, just like your daddy!" He smiled and replied "Yup! Someday I'm going to be a surgeon, just like daddy!" I smiled and tousled his hair "We'd better get going...see you Wednesday!"

We walked over to the lift and took it to her floor. The door opened to the sound of laugher from the nurses' station. Joanna, the head duty nurse saw us and laughed, I sighed "What have they done now..." The deep Cajun twang of Foghorn's voice replied for her "Look at this!" James and I turned to see him holding a banana "Um...She gave you a banana?" He handed it to me "Take a good look at it...that _was_ my banana!" I examined the banana and understood what he was upset about. There was _no_ banana _in_ the banana-someone had removed the fruit and stitched up the skin so it looked like it hadn't been touched. I shook my head "I'll talk to them...and get you another banana." Foghorn muttered "_crazy women_..." James asked if he could see it so I took the vase and handed it to him. "It doesn't have a banana in it...its empty. What happened to the banana?" I set the vase down and pointed to the stitches on the skin "Somebody ate the banana and sutured up the skin so it looks like it hasn't been touched." He giggled "Can you show me how to do that? That's funny!" I picked up the vase "Yes, it's a simple continuous suture. Come on; let's go see what they're up to."

As we approached her room we could hear her "Ow...OW...this freaking hurts! I need to take a break..." We entered to find Ivan, Chandra and Claire sitting and talking to Katie-Chandra and Claire were stitching up bananas while they talked. She was sitting up in her bed, a pile of practice suture kits and a bunch of bananas on the table. She looked up and smiled "Oh, _I'm so glad you're here_! They're torturing me! Come here and give me a hug, James..." I handed him the vase and he took it to her "Daddy and I brought you some flowers. "Those are for me? They're beautiful...smell good, too! Thank you, sweet pea!" She put them on the table next to the bananas and gave him a hug and a kiss "Those are the best flowers ever! I love you, James!" He hugged her and gave her a kiss "I love you, too! I'm so glad you're feeling better!" She smiled "I was...until they started _torturing_ me!" An angry look crossed his face and she said "They're not really being mean to me. They're helping me get better-it just hurts, that's all. If they wait until it doesn't hurt I won't get better..." I walked over to her and gave her a kiss "I love you, sweetheart! I saw Foghorn down at the nurses' station. He's _not happy_..." She kissed me "I love you...the flowers are lovely! Anyway, don't blame me-_blame them_! They forced me to..." Chandra smiled mischievously "I guess my beloved husband didn't appreciate my handiwork..." Ivan stood up "Here..sit down, Martin. I've been assessing her range of motion, dexterity and hand-eye coordination.. Range of motion and dexterity are about what I expected given the nature of her shoulder, arm and wrist injuries. Hand-eye coordination is good. We will probably have to operate on her shoulder at a later date." He said to her with a laugh "If you think you're being tortured now, just wait until Grant gets ahold of you. He usually works on football and basketball players. He's a former Marine D.I."

James sat on my lap, picked up one of the bananas and said "Can you show me how to sew up a banana?" They all laughed, Chandra tossed me a suture kit "Let's see how _the master_ does it..." I sat James up to free my arm and carefully peeled the banana, then handed it back to him "OK...first _you_ have to eat the banana." He giggled and took the banana out of its skin and started to eat it. I took the skin and laid it down then looked at the suture kit "Just a moment...I'll be right back." I walked back to my office and retrieved my Loupes, DeBakey and Castro along with a couple packs of 6-0 Prolene with C-1 everpoints from my desk. Justine saw what I was carrying and said "Planning on doing some surgery?" I smiled "Yes...I'm going to teach my son how to properly close a banana." She laughed "You realize that _no_ banana is going to be safe around him from now on. I'd better order him a tissue suture pad, too..."

I walked back in to her room, Claire saw what I was carrying "Oh god, he's brought the big guns...Showoff!" I replied "If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right." James was sitting on a stool that someone had brought in from the nurses' station. His eyes were bright and inquisitive...I thought to myself 'Louisa is going to kill me' as I envisioned her finding a neatly sutured banana skin in her lunch bag where a banana skin that actually _contained_ a banana should've been. I put on my loupes and proceeded to show him how to hold the instruments then gave him a demonstration of a continuous suture "You need to use fine, accurate stitches...keep the tension even...see how I'm inserting the needle at a right angle...don't force it, use a series of short pushes to allow the needle to travel naturally and follow its own arc..." When I had finished I handed him 'the patient' for inspection. He thoroughly examined 'the patient' then exclaimed "May I try it?" I replied "Certainly...first you must select a 'patient' and carefully peel it." As he did so Claire and Chandra gathered round to 'assist', Ivan said "I'm scheduled for surgery in a couple of hours; I'll see you all later. Are you skating with all of us tonight, James?" James looked at me and I replied for him "Yes, we'll be there." James held up the peeled banana and said "_You_ have to eat the banana, daddy." I smiled at him, took the banana and ate it. Chandra and Claire opened up a suture kit and 'assisted' James with his first surgery while I sat down next to Katie on the bed and cuddled her while we watched him. Katie whispered in my ear "He's hooked now. Louisa is going to kill you-you know that, don't you?" I smiled and whispered back "Yes." and kissed her. She drifted off to sleep in my arms.

After James had successfully completed his first surgery we quietly picked up everything and left so Katie could sleep. I left her a note stating that we were going to have lunch then run some errands and would be back later. Down in the café Foghorn joined us for lunch. James proudly showed him his 'patient' and Foghorn examined his handiwork "That's very good...nice spacing on the stitches...you have good hands and good eyes, James...just like your daddy..." He looked at me and beamed with pride and happiness at the compliment; I smiled and gave him a hug "Seven of seven." Claire heard that and laughed "I _knew_ it-you _are_ Borg!" Chandra asked "Seven of seven?" I replied "If he does indeed become a surgeon he will be the seventh generation of my family to do so." From that day forward Claire occasionally called me "Six of Seven" and that was picked up by others. I thought to myself "I guess it beats being called 'Tosser'." We spent the afternoon after lunch running errands, doing laundry and packing for our journey back to Britain. Katie had asked us to bring some items from home- pajamas, polarfleece robe, slippers, some toiletries, her tablet, ear buds and charger. Ryan had told her it was OK for her to use it as long and she limited herself to 'one hour on, one hour off' and no videogames outside of solitaire. She could listen to audiobooks or music for longer, though; they caused no stress on her eyes. We packed those items up in a small duffle bag and headed back to the hospital.

Katie was sleeping when we arrived back at her room. Her bruises and cuts were fading, her face was pain free and peaceful in her slumber. She was healing and hopefully soon she will be home. I miss her... I pulled a chair over next to her bed and James and I talked quietly while we gently held her hand. James sighed "Daddy...I don't want to go home. I'm not scared here." I let go of Katie's' hand and cuddled him "It will be alright. Soon there will be nothing to be afraid of, I promise you." I hadn't told him of the change in our itinerary yet "We won't be going to Worcestershire when we get back-we're going to Port Wenn first, then to Worcestershire. Mummy and Stephan decided to take the family there after London to finish off their holiday instead of going back home." James brightened at this news "Really? That makes me so happy! I'll get to see all my friends and go visit Burt and Al and Pauline and Morwenna and Doc George! I wish we could move back there...I hate where we live now." I held him close and rocked him "Sometimes wishes do come true..."

We sat like that for quite some time and he dozed in my arms. It felt good to hold him. I thought about what I had told him as I watched both of them sleep. His wish may come true depending on what Stephan and Louisa decide. If all goes well on Monday they could move back to Cornwall, work at the school if they chose to and not have to worry about anything financially. They would be able to live the life that I know Louisa (and I'm guessing Stephan, too) would want to live. In Port Wenn being school teachers at a rural school and enjoying the quiet life along the Cornish coast. I know that neither one of them were truly keen on the jobs in Worcestershire, they had to take them for the money. My wishes were coming true, too. Everyone is astounded by the progress Katie has made in the week since the accident. It's not often that I hear world class surgeons and doctors toss around the word 'miracle'. I've heard that word used more in the last week then I have in the last 20 years to describe her and her progress. The last big test comes Monday. Grant will start working with her and we'll find out how her balance, agility, mobility and reflexes are. I wish I could be here for her but at the time she will be taking her first steps since the accident Nigel and I will be eviscerating the board and those parents. I feel badly about not being here for that but she told me "You need to be there, my love. _Only you can do this for them_. You'll get to see me cry and swear enough over the coming weeks. I'll warn you, I get really grumpy doing PT. This will be my third time learning how to walk again. This time around I get the added bonus of working on how to use my right arm again."

My other wishes were coming true, too. Matsuko is confident that the twins suffered no ill effects from the accident or the surgery. She told me yesterday "Of course I cannot say that I'm 100% sure-we can never be that accurate. But I can say that we're within the statistical average for a normal pregnancy. I fully expect to deliver two very healthy and, at the rate they're growing, very large babies. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she went into labor two weeks before the due date given the rate they're growing-they're going to run out of room. My guess is that you two will be sleep deprived and changing nappies by January 15th." I daydreamed about them. What they and our family would be like over the years. I thought about the dream I had...our daughter is going to be beautiful, tall and blond with her mother's eyes. I hadn't seen our son in the dream and wondered what he would be like. I thought about James snuggled up and asleep in my arms..."Seven of Seven"...I'm pretty sure after today that his course in life is set barring any major disasters...he looks so much like me when I was his age... I thought to myself he is me as I should've been at his age and I am how my father should've been towards me at James's age. Of course, my parents weren't divorced but they should've been-it was very unpleasant at home and they were living separate lives under the same roof. They only stayed together for appearances, money and taxes. As I learned later both of them had numerous affairs. Like Aunt Ruth said "No one got out of that relationship unscathed." The thought crossed my mind that perhaps my father _wasn't_ my father. No, he _was_ my father because I look like _his_ father, my grandfather.

James stirred out of his dreams and woke me from my daydreaming. We had been that way for a good hour I guessed by the light of day retreating before the coming night. James said sleepily "What time is it, daddy?" I looked at my watch and told him it was half five. Katie was still sleeping peacefully. We were to meet everyone for dinner at Auntie Pasta's at 6pm before heading out to Sugar Land. I set James down and wrote Katie a note.

_My love!_

_You were sleeping so soundly and peacefully we didn't want to wake you. I brought the things you wanted from home, they are in the duffle bag hanging on the table. We're off to have dinner with the others then to the rink. I'll try calling you later and James and I will see you tomorrow before we go to the airport. _

_Sleep well, my love!_

_I Love You!_

_Martin_

I placed the note on the table then leaned over, kissed her gently on her cheek and whispered "I love you, Katherine Rose...sweet dreams..." James whispered to her "I love you...see you tomorrow!" I took James's hand and we headed off towards the car.


	78. Chapter 78-Teodora

**_Chapter 78: Teodora_**

James was quite excited as we pulled into the parking space next to Ryan's Range Rover, he was looking forward to being with his friends and showing me how well he could skate. At the restaurant he was talking non-stop with his friends about it, they were going to teach him how to skate backwards tonight...well, Hanna and Robin were going to teach him how. I think he was more excited about being with Hanna and Robin than the skating. We all noticed how they were behaving and Claire quipped "You're going to be a grandpa soon!" to which everyone started laughing. I didn't understand why they were until Pam said "You should see the expression on your face, its _priceless_! You look like a startled fowl!" I enjoyed talking to Ivan and Jonathan. We haven't seen much of them lately. Ivan has his own research project going and is very busy and Jonathan is busy in his own right preparing for next year's season at the opera. They had just returned from Europe and were telling us about their trip. They had spent time in Rome, Milan, Venice, Paris and London. They enjoyed the time they spent in the Italian lakes region so much they bought a small villa in Vassena on Lago Como and they showed everyone the pictures of their new holiday home. It was quite nice; they had their own private beach and dock and the views were magnificent. I mentioned that we were somewhat familiar with the area-Katie has relatives in Acquaseria and Chris and I had visited the area on our trip and had enjoyed our time there. I didn't mention Teodora but I thought about her. _No one __ever__ forgets their first time_... Jonathan must've been reading my mind because he said to me sotto voce "Daydreaming about your Italian holiday from so long ago?" I smiled and said "Yes..." He smiled a knowing smile and said "I understand..." Thankfully he changed the subject "Before I forget we are doing 'Die Zauberflöte' next season. I remember Katie mentioning it was one of her favorite operas and we would be pleased to have you two as our guests at a performance." I replied "You are quite kind and we would be pleased to accept your offer. I'm sure Katie will enjoy it as will I."

On the drive to the rink the thought of Teodora and that night passed through my mind again. Something James said drove her totally from my mind "Daddy...why did Claire say that you're going to be a grandpa soon?" I shook my head and thought of the wisdom of having a children's table or a gag for Claire, neither of which we had at the restaurant. "Because she thinks that you really like both Hanna and Robin." He smiled "I do...but why would that make you a grandpa?" I replied "Um...err...it will take some explaining and we're almost at the rink. I'll explain it to you later, OK?" James said "OK!" and started happily chatting away about all the fun he was going have skating with his friends. I nodded and listened to him, thankful that he was satisfied to have it all explained to him later. Hopefully he will forget about _that question_ for a couple more years. Then I had a horrifying thought...no, _not possible_. I parked the car and we went inside. I had brought the camera and my tablet along-Nigel had sent me the drafts of the paperwork he had drawn up and I needed to read it before we met tomorrow night. I helped James put on his pads and wrist guards then laced up his skates; he was using the pair of skates that Sean had just outgrown. Ivan walked over to me and said "I have a gift for you." In his hands were a pair of skates "These are my spare pair; I brought them along in case you wanted to go skating with James. They don't carry rental skates in our shoe size and these are excellent skates. They are lightweight, comfortable and the pump allows you to custom fit them to your feet." James became excited at the prospect of skating with me and begged "Please come skating with us! We'll show you how and it'll be so much fun!" Ryan and the rest were watching to see what I would decide, from the look on Claire's face I guessed that she had bet that I wouldn't and was looking forward to some extra cash in her pocket. I looked at the skates and heard my son say "_Please..._." I took the skates from Ivan and said with the same amount of enthusiasm as a condemned man has when he sees the axe that will be chopping his head off "OK...I'll try it." James gave me a big hug "I love you, daddy! You'll have so much fun! I promise!" I looked at Claire and laughed "How much did you lose?" She replied "Fifty bucks...I _thought_ peacocks didn't skate..." Ryan said to James "Ivan, Jerry and I will teach your daddy how to skate while you go have fun with the rest, OK?" James gave me a kiss and headed for the ice with the rest of the children. Claire chortled "I'll sit back and record it for possible blackmail...errr...for Katie. Yeah...that's the ticket!" and went to to join the others on the ice.

Jerry said as he handed me a set of wrist, elbow and knee guards "We want you to learn properly and have a good time. Just relax…the last thing _any_ of us want is for you to get hurt." They taught me how to properly lace and fit the skates and then taught me how to balance and walk on them. Before going out to join the others they gave me instructions on how to fall properly. I felt like a lamb going to the slaughter, the _only_ redeeming features of this activity was the happiness in James's eyes when I said I would try it and the fact that Claire lost fifty dollars. Jerry, Ryan and Ivan were quite serious and helpful; they were also patient and excellent instructors. Within a half an hour they had me up and running to the point where I no longer felt the need to cling to the wall for dear life. They followed me around like three mother hens giving me instruction and at the ready if I got into trouble. Once I became used to skating properly and gained confidence I found that , to my surprise, I was enjoying myself. I took a short break along the wall and watched James and Hanna-they were off in a corner of the rink where she was teaching him how to skate backwards. Claire skated up to me and came to a full stop and leaned on the wall next to me. "You know, it was worth losing the fifty bucks to see you learn how to skate. I know it's none of my business but you strike me as someone who never _was_ a kid when you were a kid. I bet you were never allowed to do things like ride a bike, or skate, or even play. You had to always be the proper little gentleman." I watched my son enjoying himself and replied softly "No...I never was allowed to do things like this." Claire put her arm around me and gave me a hug "That _really_ sucks...I feel sorry for you, you missed out on so much." I sighed "Yes... At least James won't go through what I went through..." She asked "Did you play any sports as a boy?" I shook my head "No...I was a very scrawny lad and spent most of my time reading or studying. I was a bit of a late bloomer, too." Claire skated out in front of me, put out her hands and smiled "Come on, Martin! You got the forward part of skating down; let's teach you how to skate backwards." The children came over to 'help' by demonstrating the technique. Once I became proficient at it James and I skated around for a while and he taught me how to do a 'hockey stop'. I could tell that he was very happy that he could teach his father how to do something and he was a very good teacher. Hanna skated over and asked James if he wanted to play tag, I could see that he wanted to so I bowed out saying that I wanted to take a break and get something to drink.

I took off the skates and pads and put my shoes back on then took out my tablet and started to read the email and documents Nigel sent. Apparently he had someone do some digging into the situation at the school and it _wasn't good_. No wonder they have had a difficult time retaining staff. My phone rang, it was Katie "Hello, my love! I wanted to call you to tell you that I'm sorry I was asleep when you came back." "I love you, too, sweetheart! It's OK…you needed the rest. James and I talked while we watched you sleep." She could hear the children in the background "Sounds like everyone is having fun…I hope you aren't too bored sitting there." I smiled "Actually I'm enjoying myself. You will be very proud of me; I now know how to ice skate…_barely_. At least I haven't fallen and Claire lost fifty bucks so it's been a good time so far." She giggled "That's wonderful! I'm so glad. It's very good exercise and a fun family activity. I know you were very hesitant about learning how to do it and I didn't want to push you. I was hoping that you might see how much fun it could be and want to give it a go…wait…how did Claire lose fifty dollars?" "She bet Ryan fifty dollars that I would chicken out. Apparently they _all_ had planned to try to get me to skate tonight, _even my own son_. Ivan brought a spare pair of his skates so I couldn't get out of it by not being able to find skates that fit me, Jerry brought a spare pair of pads so I couldn't use that as an excuse, either." "Oh, my poor baby! '"He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious." I could hear her trying to sit up "Did you get a chance to look at the stuff that Nigel sent you?" I looked around to make sure James wasn't nearby; he was playing tag with the others. "No, I was going to do that while James was skating but I ended up learning how to skate instead. I think I'm going to sit down for a while and look at them while James is having fun, my legs are getting a bit sore and I don't want them to be so sore that it's uncomfortable on the plane tomorrow." I could hear a voice in the background "Oh…OK…Sorry…Dr. Hu and the nurses are here so I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you!" I replied "I love you! See you tomorrow and sweet dreams."

I resumed reading the investigation report Nigel had sent when Jonathan came over and sat down next to me. "Taking a break?" I closed the tablet "Yes, we're leaving for London tomorrow and didn't want to deal with sore legs on the plane." He smiled and asked "Who was she?" I thought he overheard me on the phone and replied "Katie...who else would it be?" He chortled "No, _silly!_ The girl you were thinking about at dinner. You weren't thinking about tramping around the Italian Alps with your best friend, not with _that kind of smile_ on your face. You can go ahead and deny it or get angry at me if you wish, I do not mean to cause you pain or embarrassment and apologize if I have-I only inquire because it seemed a very pleasant memory for you. You don't seem to have many of those...So, who was she?" I looked down at my feet and sighed "Her name was Teodora." He replied with a kind voice "Ah...a holiday romance! Those are rare, memorable and poignant. Did you stay in touch with her after your holiday?" I watched James and he chased Max around trying to tag him "No. It lasted nine days...the proverbial nine day wonder." He was quiet for a moment "Italian women...I've seen men weep bittersweet tears over them." I replied "Her father found out about us and sent her packing back to Milan in the company of her two brothers. Her family is very rich and owns a huge villa on the lake in Bellagio; at least they did at the time. He made it _very clear_ to me that if I tried to contact her again I would be dead or in prison, so I never tried. I didn't know how to anyway, not without causing her trouble." Jonathan picked up my tablet and handed it to me "The internet is a wonderful thing...have you tried looking her up?" I set the tablet back down "No, I don't want to know. I prefer to remember her as she was...as we were. She is in the past and shall stay there, a moment frozen in time." He chuckled "You have your own fiery Italian woman now, with just a hint of Irish and coated in Alaska-if that isn't a combustible combination I don't know what is!" I smiled "Fire and ice..." He laughed "Combine those two and you end up with a _lot_ of steam!" I just smiled and nodded.

Jonathan went back out on the ice to go skate with Ivan and I went back to reading the material Nigel had sent and started making notes. They _needed_ to get out of there, all of them. I had to stop reading it. I could feel the anger starting to flare again and I didn't want James to notice so I turned my thoughts elsewhere. I thought of a woman and a sailboat. For many years that combination of words would have brought Teodora to mind; now they summoned forth memories of Katie and our honeymoon. I put Teodora back on the dusty shelf of remote memory for good.


	79. Chapter 79-I'm Ready to Go Home

**_Chapter 79: I'm Ready to Go Home_**

I awoke to see my eyes staring back at me. James was sitting on the bed watching me sleep. Judging by the amount of light in the room and the angle of the shadows on the wall I guessed that it was sometime after 9am. I had overslept! James had already taken a shower and was dressed. He cheerily exclaimed "Good morning, Daddy! I hope I didn't wake you, I was trying to be quiet..." I grabbed him, gave him a hug and kiss then started to tickle him him-he was giggling away and tried to tickle me. Katie had told him I was ticklish...she also showed him of one of the few places he could tickle me that wasn't in a private place and the correct method to do so that would make me giggle. James broke from my grasp and headed straight for the back of my left knee and I started to giggle. The tickle monster finally relented and I said breathlessly "Good morning, James! I'm sorry I overslept." He crawled up and cuddled me "It's OK. I just woke up, too." I kissed his forehead "Fancy some pancakes?" he sat up and said "_You_ know how to make pancakes?" I smiled at him as I got out of bed "Of course! Katie showed me how to make her blueberry pancakes." I picked him up off the bed "Let's go make some pancakes!" he put his arms around my neck as I carried him downstairs "I love you, daddy!" I gave him a kiss "I love you, too!"

As we rounded the corner we saw Peter making an espresso. I set James down on the floor and said "Good morning, Peter!" He looked up sleepily "Good morning, Martin! Good morning, James!" James ran over to him and Peter picked him up "How are you doing today, James?" James replied happily "Daddy is going to make us pancakes for breakfast!" Peter tousled his hair and set him down on a stool at the breakfast bar and handed me the espresso he had just made and started on another for himself. "That sounds delicious! Did you have fun last night?" James cheerily replied "It was so much fun! Daddy learned to skate last night, too! Peter looked at me incredulously "You _did_?" I took a sip of the espresso then started to gather the ingredients for the pancakes and poured James a glass of milk "Yes, I _did_. I found it quite enjoyable and very good exercise. My legs are a bit sore this morning, though." Peter said as he set the table "Oh, before I forget to tell you, the adjustments you made in the structure of the peptide amphiphiles seem to be generating excellent results. I put the data on a stick drive for you to peruse." I replied "Good...if all goes well we'll start on phase two in January. That's when the fun really begins." Peter laughed "In more ways than one! I don't know how you're going to be able to handle it all. You'll have your job, the research project and will have two little babies keeping you up all night." I smiled as I carried our plates to the table "Delegation of authority and duties, organization, planning and prioritization. I have Claire to the point where she has taken over almost all of the routine day to day operations of my department and Justine handles most of the minor administrative work. I have you and I also have no lack of volunteers wanting in on the project to provide extra help once we get rolling. Katie has an excellent mind and has proven quite helpful during the planning and design phase as you know. It's very helpful to have a spouse that is interested in and fascinated by the same things you are and understands the work involved in what you are trying to accomplish. I learned that one the _hard_ way...Anyway, I suspect that she and the twins will be regular visitors to the lab once things get going and I am going to try to avoid as many late nights at the lab as possible, even if that slows the project down." Peter nodded "I already know that one. Minh is the first girl I've ever met that I can actually _talk_ to, if you understand my meaning. We're both interested in structural engineering-her on a macro scale, me on a biomolecular/biocellular scale. In fact we've had some interesting discussions on how both our interests can be combined to generate new materials and structures. The rest of our other interests and tastes mesh in the same way. All the other girls I've tried to date eventually become bored to tears by me or got very frustrated and lashed out."

After breakfast I showered and performed my morning hygiene routine while James and Peter played a videogame. We were running behind schedule so while James was occupied I carried our luggage out to the car and double checked that we had everything and nothing was left behind. We would be going straight to the airport after visiting Katie. I went upstairs to Peter's flat where they were playing and said "It's time to go, James." He put down the game paddle and gave Peter a hug "I love you and I'm going to miss you-we had so much fun! Thank you for the hat! I just wish I could go to the game and watch you and Minh today..." Peter gave him a hug "We had a great time with you, too! Next time you visit maybe you'll be able to be a part of the MOB during a game. Minh and I will come visit you when we go over to England at Christmas and we'll have fun then." I looked at him "Taking Minh with you?" He smiled "Yes...taking her to meet mum and my new stepdad then going to visit some friends." I smiled "Good! Your mum will like her. Well, we're off...I'll see you Tuesday night." James put his hat on and took my hand "I'm ready to go, daddy! Say 'Hi' to Minh for me and I'll see you later, Peter!" He turned and waved goodbye as we headed downstairs and out to the car.

As we walked to Katie's room I hoped that the 'experiment' I had set up worked. While I was shaving earlier I looked over at Katie's side of the vanity at her perfumes and wondered if her finely tuned sense of smell had been affected by the accident, so I decided to perform an experiment to find out. I grabbed a cotton swab and sprayed a tiny amount of the cologne she had bought for me on it then put the tiniest amount I possibly could at the base of my left ear. I could _barely_ smell it, Peter and James had not otherwise they would've commented on it. If her sense of smell was intact she _would_ react to it. We walked in to find her listening to an audiobook, she took the ear buds out of her ears and smiled "Good morning, James! That is a really cool hat, looks good on you!" I pulled a chair over so he could climb up and give her a hug and a kiss "Good morning, Katie! I love you! Peter and Minh gave it to me, I think it's really cool, too!" I sat down next to her and before I could give her a kiss she swatted me "I can _smell __that_, damn you! Now you got me all hot and bothered and I can't do a damned thing about it! _Evil man!"_ James was startled and didn't understand "What's going on? I don't smell anything..." She laughed and said "Your daddy is wearing some of his special cologne. Just a teeny, tiny amount...knowing him he did it to see if my sense of smell is intact. Damn doctors...Come here; you...let the squirrel find the nut." I kissed her and she responded rather passionately then she started to search for the source of the scent and found it "Thar she blows! _Damn you_..." She hugged and caressed me in such a way that she could hit one of my 'on buttons' while leaving James clueless and whispered in my ear when she heard my breathing change "Payback is a bitch..." I sat back up before it indeed became a bitch and smiled "Yes, it can be..._evil woman!"_ James was totally confused by now so I walked over to him and picked him up then sat down. I pointed to where I had applied the cologne "Smell here." He did and said "Wow! That smells really good!" I smiled and said "She is correct, I wanted to see if her sense of smell had been affected by the accident so I devised this experiment to see if it had. She passed the test with flying colors. Sometimes with the kind of injuries she received in the accident a person's senses can be altered in ways that aren't immediately apparent."

James told her all about our evening at the rink and teaching me how to make a 'hockey stop', she told him that the next time he came to visit they would teach him how to play hockey. I told her about Ivan and Jonathan's invitation to see 'Die Zauberflöte' next spring, my adventures in skating and what Peter had told me this morning concerning my research project. At one point an expression of discomfort and pain crossed her face, I became somewhat alarmed. "It's OK, babycakes..._your_children are learning basic anatomy from the inside at the moment." She took my hand and placed it where they were moving the most at; I smiled as I felt them moving about. James asked "Can I feel, too?" and I stood him up on the chair then sat next to Katie, he put his hand where mine had been and smiled. Katie put her hand on his. "Next time we see you they will be on the outside…you will be a big brother three times over." James grew pensive and was quiet for a while "I don't want to go home, I want to stay here with you and daddy!" Katie looked at me then patted the bed and said "Come up here, hun…" James carefully climbed up on the bed next to us. "I know how hard it can be to go back to a place where you are always scared and feel alone. I _promise you_ that all of that will soon be nothing more than a memory." James eyes welled with tears "No…it won't stop..._No one can make it stop_…_There's nowhere to hide_..." She took a tissue and dried his tears "James, soon you will see all of your fears will pass away. Your father is going to make it _all_ stop on Monday and by the time he gets done those kids who have been picking on you _will be the ones who are afraid_."

She took off her wedding band and showed it to James "Remember the day we went to pick these up, young padawan?" He smiled a wan smile and nodded "See the inscription inside it, do you remember what it says?" He thought for a moment and said quietly and sadly "No…" She put her ring back on and took a notepad and fountain pen out of her purse. She started writing-not in English, it was Sindarian. When she had finished she blew on the paper to dry the ink and put the pen and notepad back in her purse and took out a small, beaded leather pouch. James watched her with interest. She showed him the small bag "This is a Lakota medicine bag. It was given to me by an old friend and I have had it for 25 years. The leather it is made from is bison and the beaded symbol is the wheel of life. Inside it are items meant to protect and guide the owner. James asked "Can I see what's inside it?" She smiled and opened it "This is an eagle feather for flight, maize for life, sage for the spirits and the little turquoise bear is for healing. The little tuft of fur is from an Arctic wolf who was my childhood pet and best friend and this is a penguin feather, they are my spirit guide and life totem-they symbolize the two worlds I live in."

She carefully put the contents back in the bag, and then showed him the small piece of paper "This is what is inscribed inside our wedding bands. It says 'Ae ú-esteliach nad, estelio han. Estelio ammen.' In English it means 'If you trust nothing else, trust this. Trust us.'" She carefully rolled up the paper and put it in the bag and closed it then handed it to him. "Remember what that piece of paper says. Trust your father and your mother to defend and protect you. Trust Stephan and me to aid them in doing so. Trust us and be not afraid of these bullies. I'll tell you a little secret...People who bully others are weak and they do it to try to make themselves feel bigger than they are. It is the small dog that barks the most and the reason they do so is out of _fear_. The same holds true for bullies, deep down inside they are afraid of you and they know you are better than them and that makes them _feel very small indeed_. They want you to fear them, don't allow them to make you afraid-have courage, stay calm, stay strong. Now...I want you to take this with you on your journey home so a special part of me will be with you to help protect and guide you. Trust in us to do all we can to aid you. I wish I could go with you and help but I can't, they'd get a good ol' fashioned Chinstrapping out of me...of course, I'd probably end up enjoying the hospitality of His Majesty at the crossbar hotel but it would be worth it." As he listened to her the expression on his face changed from tear washed anguish to hopeful stirrings of courage, when she finished he sat quietly and looked at the little bag while we cuddled him. After a while he said "I'm ready to go home..."


	80. Chapter 80-Niitakayama Nobore

**_Chapter 80: Niitakayama Nobore_**

I sighed as the taxi turned onto the familiar road that led to Port Wenn. It's been one short, and very eventful, year since I had left this village that had been my home for almost a decade. The journey from Houston to here had been fairly routine. James had perked up considerably after Katie had talked to him and given him her medicine bag. He was treating it as a talisman to ward off the evils in his life which was giving him confidence and comfort which was exactly what she had intended it to do. It also sparked his curiosity so he spent most of the time on our journey learning about it and the Native American tribes. I was grateful for this because it kept him occupied and distracted which gave me time to read the rest of the material Nigel had sent and the data that Peter had given me. We had agreed to meet at Bert's restaurant where they were going to have lunch after which James would go home with Louisa and Stephan and Nigel and I would go over things in preparation for our meeting later in the evening with them. It was a cool, crisp, blustery autumn day much like the one a year ago when James and I took our last walk along the cliff path. Much had changed for both of us in the space of that year, the biggest change was that neither one of us lived here anymore. Depending on what Louisa and Stephan decide James could be living here again. I know that would make James very happy and would probably make the rest of his family happy, too. I know it would make me happy, I suspect that if they stay at the school in Worcestershire for a couple of years they will all be forced to change by the pressures they face there into people they won't recognize and deep down do not like. Change can be quite good but it can also be very bad. In my case change has been _very good_-in their cases it has been _very bad_.

The taxi pulled up to the Slipway and I paid the driver and grabbed our bags. Mrs. Jewell was at the reception desk and she greeted us as we walked towards her "Doc Martin and James, _what a pleasant surprise_! My, you look _so different_! I didn't recognize you at first. Lost some weight and put on quite a bit of muscle I see. Letting your hair grow out a bit, it looks nice on you. By the way, I wanted to thank you ever so much for what you and your Katie did for the children at the school. My little Tina isn't bored by school now and likes to learn about new places and new things. Quite the change for the better!" I smiled and said "Thank you, Mrs. Jewell! Katie will be pleased to hear it. I have a reservation for this evening and do you know if a Mr. Nigel Collingsworth has arrived? She pulled up my reservation on the computer and handed me the key to the Lifeboat Suite "Yes, Mr. Collingsworth has checked in, I saw him leave about an hour ago..." She glanced around "Didn't your Katie come with you?" I replied "No. She's back home in Houston." I hadn't wanted to give out any more information than that to avoid having to discuss it with _everyone_ we would meet-unfortunately James scuppered that idea. "Katie's in the hospital, she was in a bad accident! She is getting better and the babies are OK." Her eyes grew wide "Oh, dear! What happened and what babies?" I sighed "She was involved in an automobile accident last week and was seriously injured. She is also pregnant with twins. She is much on the mend and the twins suffered no ill effects from the accident." I could hear the jungle drums warming up..."Oh, that's _terrible_! I'm glad to hear they are all getting better, she seems to be a very nice woman...and pregnant, too! Congratulations!" I picked up our bags and said "We must get going, we have to meet Louisa and Stephan soon." She replied "I understand and I hope you enjoy your stay, Doc! If you need anything please let me know." We thanked her and went up to the suite, once inside we freshened up. I noticed that James was quieter than normal. I gave him a hug and asked "What's troubling you, son?" He looked down at his shoes "I'm scared..." I picked him up and cuddled him "Why are you scared?" he pulled the medicine bag out of his jeans pocket and looked at it "I don't want to go back to the school. I want to stay with you...you make me feel safe." He started to tremble and the tears came, I rocked him gently "Don't worry, everything will be fine. I love you and I _will_ make sure of it. Do you remember me asking if Nigel had checked in?" He nodded "Nigel is going to come with us to the school and he is going to help me put a stop to what you've been going through. Remember what Katie said to you?" He looked at me and nodded "Good...trust us to make things better for you. We have to go meet your mum now..." He hugged me and I kissed him then dried his tears, he gave me a smile "I love you, daddy!" "I love you, too, James!" I helped him put his jacket on, grabbed his bags and we headed out to Bert's.

James's smile grew as we walked down the street, many people stopped to greet us and he saw a couple of friends with their parents and talked for a bit with them. At the top of the stairs I could see Louisa and Stephan were already there seated at a large table with Stephan's children. James saw his mother and ran down the stairs towards her "Mummy!" I stood and watched him as he ran, he was back to his happy self and I was glad to see it. I also stood back for a moment and observed the rest of the children and how they acted and reacted to James. I knew they had been talked to about what had been happening to James and had been punished for their role in it. They could be angry with him or be afraid that anything they might do or say would make things worse and change the way they treated him which might make him uncomfortable and scared again. They appeared to be acting normally around him and his smile hadn't lessened. I went down to say hello to them and to drop off his luggage. Louisa and Stephan knew I was going to meet with Nigel but went through the motions of inviting me to join them to keep the other children 'in the dark' as to what was going to happen on Monday. This all depended on the parents of those bullies and the rest of the board to be absolutely clueless as to what was about to hit them, as Katie put it "You gotta 'Pearl Harbor' them-_Niitakayama Nobore_."

Nigel and I had arranged to meet after I dropped James off so I headed back to the Slipway. It took me a bit longer than normal to get there because I saw Mrs. Tishell down the street and decided to take a detour to avoid her. Nigel saw me as I approached and waved me over to his table, he was sitting there with another man. "Hello, Martin! It's been a long time since we last saw each other." He said as we all shook hands "This is my colleague, Roger Adair. He will be assisting us on our little project." I was surprised when he spoke, he was an American and judging by the accent he was from Boston "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Ellingham. I'm with the Boston office of Jackson, Fitzgerald and Wye." I sat down and the waitress came to take our orders and we got down to business. Apparently Nigel had a private investigator to do some digging and found that the grandparents and parents of the two main instigators have essentially treated the school as their own fiefdom for some time. They have stacked the board with their children, relatives and lackeys who act as a rubber stamp for them. Roger quipped "They run that school like the old Mafia families ran New York. _Nothing_ happens there that isn't approved by them and if somebody or someone gets in their way they 'disappear'. In this case they are fired, intimidated and harassed into quitting or pushed out by any means necessary. Their major problems started when their grandchildren started to attend the school. Those two are _real gems_, I'll tell you. We've found at least three cases where children have had the same kind of treatment out of them as your son is receiving. In each case the board refused to do anything but 'strongly suggest' that they remove their children from the school because_ they_ were the ones causing all the trouble, not their _darling_ children or grandchildren. The staff that reported observing the abuse were told to either shut up or _leave_ and shut up. Judging from the rate of staff turnover at this school compared to others of its ilk I would guess that many of the staff had decided they just couldn't stand by and watch what was going on but were powerless to fight it so they chose to leave before being forced out." Nigel added "I've had my team do some digging into the financial situation of the school and the families involved and there are some rather irregular things going on with their books. We could only dig so far without tipping our hand but the threat of an audit in conjunction with a lawsuit would put the fear of god into them if nothing else does. Let's just say they wouldn't want to kill the goose that's laying their golden eggs."

Our food arrived and we talked about other things while we ate. I learned that Roger attended Harvard and knew Ryan quite well; they had played on the college hockey team together and still keep in contact. I told him that Ryan along with Claire, Ivan and Katie were organizing a hospital hockey team to play in the city league. Nigel mentioned that his eldest daughter had just given birth to his first grandchild and he beamed with pride as he showed us the photos. He was curious as to why I had moved to America, I didn't want to get into the personal reasons why so I just said that the opportunity and the salary was too great to pass up. He asked how Katie was and how I had met her. I told him she was doing well and gave him my pat answer when asked how we met "It's amazing what you will find in the produce department of a grocery store." He laughed and remarked "You never were one for going into great detail about your personal life! Robert told me about you two when we met up for lunch about a month ago. Quite the story...'The Fable of the Surgeon and the Bush Pilot'! He said...oh, how did he put it...that she was 'one of the most unique people he'd ever met and was the best thing that had ever happened to you'. After seeing you I'd have to agree. Do you have a photo of her?" I showed them the photos I carry on my phone of her and Nigel said "I can see why Robert said what he did about her, what he failed to mention was how uniquely beautiful she is."

After lunch Nigel and Roger were going to take a walk about town and probably stop at the pub. They invited me to come with them but I begged off, I wanted to call Katie and take a nap before we met Louisa and Stephan that evening. We settled the bill then went on our separate ways-they headed off to take a walk along the cliff path and I headed for my room. Once there I changed into my pajamas and called Katie. "Hello, my love! How are you feeling today?" She sounded tired "We miss you and love you! The babies are kicking up a storm, probably wondering where that big hand is that touches them when they do. Anyway...I'm sorta tired today. I don't understand it, I lay in bed all day...how can I possibly be tired?" I replied "Sweetheart, you have to remember that you've been in an accident and your injuries were quite serious. Add to that the fact that you are pregnant and that places great demands on your body. Your body is telling you that you need to rest so it can heal." She sighed "I know...I'm just frustrated right now. Sorry...How are things going on your end?" "Actually quite well. From all appearances the other children in the family are treating James normally and I just met with Nigel and the situation is worse than we expected." I then filled her in on the details of our conversation then asked her what she thought "Wow...that Nigel is _good!_ As my daddy would put it 'you got 'em by the short hairs'. He's right, the fear of an audit will be the thing that will make them do anything to make this all go away. They would probably fight you on a bullying/ASBO, they're that arrogant and stupid. Hopefully Louisa and Stephan will opt to be bought out of their contract; they'd be fools to stay there. It would ruin them and the children." I replied "I agree and Nigel is going to strongly suggest to them that they take the money and get out. I have to appear to be somewhat impartial on this matter; Louisa in particular might take it as me trying to order them about. I don't want to rekindle _that_ old argument with her. In this case it would be highly detrimental." "I completely understand, babycakes. This is a delicate situation and all we can hope for is that whatever they decide is the best decision for all involved." I started to yawn and she could hear me do so "You sound tired, hun…it's been a rough couple of weeks for both of us. You go take a nap and so will I. I just wish we could take a nap together, I _miss_ cuddling up to you… I walked over to the bed and laid down "I wish we could take a nap together, too. It's been very hard for me to sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow after we get to Birmingham. I love you so much, sweetheart!" I heard her start to yawn, too "Sleep well my love and sweet dreams…" I set the alarm on my phone and laid down. My exhaustion finally overtook me and I fell asleep.

I had questioned Nigel's suggestion that we meet Stephan and Louisa at the pub. Knowing how it can be here I didn't think we'd be able to discuss much due to the constant interruptions and what little we did manage to discuss would be overheard and spread around town at warp speed. He told me that he did know that initially we'd be interrupted but that would die down and eventually people would go back to what they were there for in the first place-having a couple pints, socializing and the pub quiz. They'd have to be listening very hard to hear anything that made sense above the ambient noise of a busy pub on a Saturday night. I walked in and looked about for them...god, they were seated at the table where Edith and I had sat at the night we had our argument. I made my way over to them and sat down, somewhat surprised that I wasn't waylaid in the process. I made a comment on this and Louisa said "Martin, you have changed so much that most of them probably are still not sure who you are. You don't realize just how different you look." She laughed "Now, if you had shown up in a suit and yelled at them to get out of your way they would have figured it out sooner." Stephan added "She's right, you know. I didn't recognize you at first when I dropped off James. He was the one that spotted you, not me, but you two have the instinctual connection of father and son. You now look more like your younger, more buffed out brother." I didn't think I looked different. I've let my hair grow out a bit and have lost about 2 stone because I'm more active. I thought of the Groucho Marx quote that Katie told me the day before our wedding "You're only as old as the woman you feel." Roger stood up and asked me what I was drinking "Scotch, preferably over 10 years old." I knew they didn't carry anything over 20 years old. When he returned with our drinks we got down to business.

Nigel and Roger began by giving Stephan and Louisa a summary of the information their investigations had uncovered. Stephan said "I had suspected as much. I had noticed some highly irregular bookkeeping straightaway and questioned the board on it. They told me in no uncertain terms to ignore it, which I found highly unusual. I also had complaints from some students about the behavior of those two boys and was investigating them, when the board found out they told me to drop it. I tried to impress on them that the behavior of those two could not be allowed to continue or the school, and myself in particular, would be held liable if a student was injured and we had failed to take action to stop them. The board didn't care." Louisa added "Some of the teachers warned me that my husband should 'just leave things alone'. They didn't go into detail but I could tell that they were _afraid_. After the first week or two it became a _very creepy_ place to be. Shortly afterwards James started having problems-his mood and attitude started to change. We knew something was wrong but we couldn't get him to talk about it. The rest of the children's attitudes started to change, too. They started to exclude James from their activities. One day James came home crying and in pain, he was bruised and was clutching his side. He also had a big knot on the back of his head. I became alarmed and took him to see our GP and discovered that one of his ribs had been cracked and he had a slight concussion. We both asked James what had happened and he told us that he'd been climbing a tree and fell out of it. The GP didn't buy that for a moment, he told me that he was certain that the injuries were the result of him being beaten. Beaten by someone who knew what they were doing." This was the first I had heard of the concussion and my anger did not turn into flames, it turned _cold_...murderously cold. I got up and walked outside to try to calm myself. I stood there for some time staring blankly at the tide coming in, the cold wind penetrating my clothes and my soul. Revenge is a dish best served cold...

I felt a hand gently touch my arm, it was Louisa. "Martin...are you all right?" I replied in a barely controlled voice "No." I took a couple deep breaths of the chilly air to try to calm myself and started to relax a bit. I turned to her "I don't blame you or Stephan for what has happened and I'm not angry at you if that is what you are concerned about. I know how much this has torn you and your family apart. I can see the pain and anguish in both of your eyes. You are in a horrific position and feel trapped and helpless. You don't need this kind of stress-none of you do. I swear to you that on Monday I _will_ make this right..._ Let them fear me, so long as they obey me._" She started to cry "Oh, Martin...I feel absolutely sick over all that has happened since we left here. You're right, we do feel trapped and don't know how to get out. _Poor James_..." She leaned into my chest and went into a crying jag and I did my best to comfort her. This was tearing her apart. "Shhh...don't cry...it will be all right, I promise you." I took out my handkerchief and dried her tears and said "In all the time I've known you you've never had a tissue or handkerchief when you really needed one." She took it from me and started to smile "You're right! Thank you..." I put my hands on her shoulders and said "Remember the discussion we had on the plane before I left? I'm not your 'prince charming' and you aren't my 'princess fair' but I will always be your 'knight in shining armor' to your 'damsel in distress'. Now, dry your tears and let's go rejoin your 'prince charming' and my knights-errant. We have a couple of dragons to slay and we must prepare." She beamed the first true smile I'd seen out of her all day and I could sense the weight starting to lift from her shoulders. She laughed and said "Let's go rejoin the others, Sir Martin!" I bowed with a flourish and said "After you, fair lady!" She smiled "Your fair lady is in Houston, I'm just your damsel in distress." I opened the door for her and smiled "I've discovered that my 'lady fair' is actually a warrior queen who excels at slaying dragons! She eviscerated a dragon named Edith last week."

Nigel overheard my last comment and asked me as I sat down "I heard that Montgomery was arrested last week, some altercation at the Dorchester if I remember correctly. Is she still chasing you around?" I smiled and said "Not anymore if she knows what's good for her. She was _very fortunate_ that my wife was in Houston." Nigel laughed "Oh, you've got to tell us the story!" I knew that it would perk Louisa's spirits up to hear it so I told the story in full detail complete with the vocal intonations that Katie had used in her 'bitchslapping', Louisa despised Edith. When I had finished Louisa laughed and clapped "Oh...I would've_ loved_ to been there to see that one! Did Katie really say all that to her?" I sipped my scotch and smiled "Yes, it was an exact quote." She laughed "I _love_ it! '_Dumb bitch...'_" Nigel smiled "Remind me to _never_ make your wife angry...Now, let's get back to the discussion at hand...The reason why we did so much digging into the situation at the school is that we don't want this case dragged into court if we can help it. We _would_ win it but the publicity would do more damage to the plaintiffs then the sentence would to the defendants. In just one week we discovered enough to ensure that they will be desperate to settle to our satisfaction. Now we come to a decision that needs to be made before we meet with them on Monday. This decision will determine our tactics." He looked at Stephan and Louisa "The question I have for you two is do you wish to stay employed there or would you prefer to be bought out of your contracts and what amount of money and what conditions would you deem satisfactory? I would like you to read this and tell me if it meets your requirements." He handed them both a copy of the terms he and Roger devised. Roger asked if anyone wanted a refill on their drinks and they all did, I asked for some bottled water. Louisa and Stephan read them while Nigel and Roger went to the bar to fetch the drinks, they knew that I didn't want to be mobbed. I looked around while they were doing so and noted that most of the people were looking over at us and talking. I also noted the spot at the bar where Katie had stood waiting for her Ploughman's and pint so long ago. If only I had let Edith go and gone to talk to her like I wanted to...

Nigel and Roger returned and distributed the drinks then we took ours and decided to step outside for a breath of fresh air and to give Louisa and Stephan some privacy to discuss the matter. All of us agreed that they needed to get out of there and hoped they would go for a buyout. Nigel said in a worrying tone "One of these days a parent or a teacher will spill the beans about what goes on there and the board will blame Stephan for the entire mess if he is still there. They have it set up in such a way that _any_ headmaster is the automatic sacrificial lamb. Only a _very thorough_ investigation would prove otherwise and most won't go through that-they will be satisfied with the board serving Stephan's head up on a silver platter and some cash in their pockets. The sooner they get out the better." We stood there for some time silently watching the tide roll in and the stars. I thought about Katie and the life that might have been if I had gone and talked to her. By now we'd probably be living in London or Oxford or who knows where...our children all away at college, maybe one left at home about to fledge. We might be grandparents! I thought to myself "That is fantasy...I can't see her being happy as just another surgeon's wife in London. Then again, I'm basing that assumption on the people we are _now_. We were both very different then-she hadn't heard the call of the wild places, at that point she admitted that she was 'looking for civilization'. I hadn't become the truly bitter and angry man I became after Edith tore my heart out. I was damaged goods then, I'll admit, but I still had a spark of hope that I could change my life and be happy. Who knows...not me."

Roger broke my reverie when he said "It's getting chilly out here." We agreed and went back inside. Louisa and Stephan were talking. We walked back to the table and sat back down. Nigel asked "Have you decided or do you need more time? I'm not trying to pressure you but the sooner we know the sooner Martin, Roger and I can work on strategy." Stephan took a rather large swig off his pint "No, we don't need more time. My god, you really think they would give us all that?" Nigel replied "Actually that is a low ball estimate, we could probably get more. The figure you see on that page is, as the Americans would put it, 'chump change' to these people. They have _a lot to lose_ if we pressed our case because if we did we would _ruin the lot of them_. They would probably _lose every penny they have_ and end up doing some hefty jail time. The publicity alone would be atrocious and that is something that Martin and his wife are willing to bear. If we press it the corruption, tax dodging and other financial aspects of this comes to the forefront and he alone would be the one pressing those charges. In that case you two and the situation with James moves to a minor aspect of the _entire picture_. You have already given me testimony that you noted the problems shortly after you arrived and were told to be silent. James being bullied by their grandchildren would be seen as retaliation and a warning to you two to keep your mouths shut, which I am beginning to believe is the case. You two become the 'headmaster and his wife who tried to stop the corruption and their youngest child was being relentlessly bullied as a warning to you to cease and desist. What they didn't plan on was that the boy's father would step into the situation to protect his son and in attempting to do so all the corruption and financial mess was discovered'. That would be the way we would spin it to the press...actually it is the truth so there wouldn't be much spin involved." Louisa said "With that we could move back here and be quite comfortable...have enough money to pay for college for the children. The headmaster position is still open here, Stephan could apply for it if he wanted to and I could substitute teach until the baby enters school then apply for a part or full time position if I wanted to. All the children hate where we live now and want to come back to Cornwall so it would make them happy and they would be safe." Nigel smiled "I will take that as a tentative yes, then. I _do_ want you to sleep on the matter, though, and give us a firm yes or no in the morning."

The pub would be closing soon and we had a long journey the next morning so we all decided to go our separate ways and get some rest. We walked Stephan and Louisa to their car and bade them good night then we walked back to the hotel and went to our rooms. We had to leave here by nine to catch the train to Birmingham so I set my alarm for 6:30am and performed my nightly hygiene routine and went to bed and fell asleep soon after. I dreamed.


	81. Chapter 81-The Voice of Nightmares

**_Chapter 81: The Voice of Nightmares_**

Sunday was consumed by our journey to Birmingham and strategy sessions. The Melbury's drove back to the school while Nigel, Roger and I journeyed by train. They had to leave before we did and stopped by the hotel on their way out of Port Wenn to give Nigel his answer and an opportunity for me to see James before they left. Their answer was a resounding 'yes' and I took James for a short walk while the others talked. We walked down to the Platt to look at the sea. I crouched down and said "James I want you to know that _I love you very much_ and that tomorrow there are going to be some things that will occur that you won't understand. Some of them may seem very scary to you but know that it is only temporary and in the end everything will be fine. I know it will be hard for you but _know that I love you_ and these things are happening to make sure you're _never_ scared again. You may see me at your school tomorrow and won't understand why I'm behaving the way I am. The reason why I will be is that I am going to war for you and I have to be that way in order to fight and _win_. _What I need you to do is act like you know nothing about this in any way. You can't tell your brothers or sisters or your teachers and schoolmates-you can't tell __anyone_. Mummy and Stephan will talk to you about it in private after you get home. If all goes well all of you will soon be living back here in Port Wenn and be happy and safe again." James looked at me with tears in his bright grey eyes "You are going to fight in a _war__?_ I don't want you to get hurt..._I don't want you to die!" _I smiled "It's not that kind of a war. Remember I said that there would be some 'adult things' that I needed to do in order to stop what is happening to you? This is one of them. It isn't a war where soldiers shoot at each other; it is a war of words and paper. _I won't get hurt and I won't die_. I will make some people _very mad_ at me, though. After it is over I will come and see you." James smiled and gave me a hug "I love you, daddy!" I picked him up and gave him a kiss "I love you, too, son! We'd better get back, everyone is waiting for us and we all have a long journey to make and tomorrow will be a very long day."

Monday morning came and I felt like a knight preparing for battle. The suit had to be right, the attitude had to be right. I had thought about the psychology involved in projecting power and confidence when I packed and decided to bring the deep navy pinstripe suit, white shirt, red tie and the white gold and sapphire Cartier cufflinks. I had learned from Katie the invisible power the right scent could produce, she had reminded me in our conversation about it that when a child is born its most developed sense is the sense of smell. Smell creates an instinctual reaction that is insidious-seemingly harmless but can have an immense effect. If done properly adds to the perception of yourself that you are trying to project to others. Before I left she told me to take the bottle of Heritage along with me, I had asked her why and she said "It will drive any woman in that meeting nuts and it will intimidate the men by projecting masculinity, wealth, power and confidence to them-pure alpha male. Just don't let any of those women bend you over the conference table! Hmmm...I wonder if Amazon sells chastity belts for men..." Getting in the right frame of mind was easy for me. I just had to open the chest of horrors that was my childhood and bear in mind that what I was about to do would keep my son from having a similar chest of horrors in his mind. I had no one to help me, I was going to make sure that did not happen to my son. It took me almost forty years to finally slay my most horrible childhood demons and shove the rest into the chest of horrors and lock it-only to be opened in extremis and all the demons chained and under my control. I didn't want my son to have to bear that kind of burden. He is so much like me in thought and temperament, the difference is that he has parents that love him and are willing to protect and defend him. It was fairly obvious to Nigel and me that Louisa and Stephan were out of their depth in this situation, they are good and well-meaning people who have unwittingly found themselves in dire straits. I knew from experience that Louisa had no true understanding of how things work at the higher levels of society and business. Not out of ignorance or lack of intelligence, it was simply because she had no real contact with it and had no reason to learn about it. It was a part of the problems we had when we were married, she couldn't understand that some of the positions I would take in an argument were based in the knowledge of how things worked at that level. Her 'world view' has always been confined to the world view of rural Cornwall and Port Wenn in particular. I once told her that during an argument, not meaning it as an insult but as a statement of fact, she became quite angry at me and led to the first night she kicked me out of the bedroom and onto the couch. It was all downhill from there. The arguments and acrimony became worse and the realization began to dawn on me that sometimes love is just not enough...As I thought about that time in my life I remembered that it was also during that time that I started having the occasional dream of a woman that was not Louisa...or Edith...or Teodora. It was someone I had never met or seen before.

I hadn't realized the true depth and scope of this operation until we met with his team after breakfast. They included barristers, solicitors, researchers and representatives from the private intelligence and security companies that were hired to assist. When Nigel had sent me the details of the buyout agreement he was going to demand out of them earlier in the week I thought he may have been impaired when he drew them up, there would be no way they would agree to it. After seeing and hearing what I did last night, including some information that had just come to light, I thought that they would easily double what Nigel was going to demand out of them. So did Nigel and he had the agreement adjusted to reflect this. If all went well by the end of the day Louisa and Stephan would be quite comfortable indeed and have no worries, most importantly James would be in an environment where he was the happiest. He would never have to worry and would be with his mother where I felt he belonged. James would not be the person he is and will be without his mother's influence and guidance. Our meeting with the board and the parents was set for 11am so after our breakfast meeting we got in the chauffeured Mercedes S class that was waiting for us, it would be followed by a Range Rover with our security detail. I thought that was a bit much but Nigel said with just a hint of a smile "It adds just a touch of extra intimidation. It will also stop them from thinking about trying to destroy documents." It was the same hint of a smile he would have on his face when he would see that I had neglectfully left myself open for an easy checkmate. In the war of words and paper he had proven to be the consummate master and for me it was interesting to see the tactics and logistics involved. He was very confident that all would go well and I was absorbing some of that confidence. We didn't talk much on the way, we were all lost in thought in preparation. As we entered the town where the school was located he said to me "Nice touch." He saw I was perplexed "The selection of suit and cologne. You are projecting your own extra touch of intimidation. Every little bit helps. Right now you are emanating power and confidence combined with a coldness and barely controlled anger that will drop the temperature in that room a good twenty degrees, which is _exactly_ what I need out of you. Hell, you're scaring _me_ right now and that's _very good!_ With the kind of people we will be dealing with you have to instill fear and intimidate them from the start. They are so used to being able to intimidate others and will look for ways to cow us. We need to make them feel like errant schoolboys being brought in for discipline by the headmaster. They are going to get a very special form of caning today. As the Americans would put it they are about to get 'schooled'."

The car pulled up to the main entrance and the chauffer opened the door to let us out. The buildings and the grounds looked quite nice; I thought to myself 'so does an apple that has a maggot on the inside." We all had worked ourselves into the proper attitude needed for our endeavor and from the reactions of the people we saw along the way we must've appeared quite formidable. I saw James out of the corner of my eye, he was out with his class for recess. He had the same look of fear he would have on those extremely rare occasions that I had become angry with something he had done, or not done. I felt badly for him but in a way it made me feel better for I knew I was projecting the right attitude without a word and at long distance. A middle aged woman was at the entrance to greet and guide us to where we needed to go "Good morning, gentlemen! If you will be so kind as to follow me I will take you to our conference room." The interior of the school was also quite nice and the sound of our footfalls echoed down the hall as we strode towards the conference room where the meeting would take place. The woman opened the door to a nicely paneled conference room with a large mahogany table. They were already there waiting for us, around the table sat the five board members, the mothers of the two children who were the main instigators along with Stephan and Louisa. They didn't bother standing or greeting us-this was intended to intimidate us and make us feel like supplicants. The only way we knew who was who was by the plaques with their names, we knew where we were supposed to sit by the name cards on the table. We weren't buying into that as our attitude indicated to them and the slight shifts in body language of the members of the board's part indicated that they were already becoming unsettled by our presence. I noticed that Stephan and Louisa's demeanor had changed, too, but could not acknowledge it or give any comfort to them. The look in their eyes was one of fear and dread. I had to keep focused...

We sat down and Nigel and Roger both opened their briefcases. They both pulled out the papers they would need but I noticed a two small electronic devices in Roger's briefcase that he turned on. One was a recorder, the other I didn't recognize. He sat the recorder on the table and closed his briefcase. The chairman of the board, one Alistair Goodwin-St. John started to speak but Nigel interrupted him. "Our time is valuable so let's dispense with your usual bluster and cut to the chase, shall we? My client had been informed that his son was being bullied and beaten by two children at this school and hired me to investigate and bring charges. During the course of our investigation we uncovered much more than a simple case of schoolyard hijinks by two ill-mannered and disgusting, cowardly boys. _Much more_... We discovered evidence of serious financial irregularities, corruption, intimidation, physical and psychological abuse of both current and former staff and students, tax evasion, money laundering and general mismanagement on part of the board. A board that is stacked with relatives and lackeys who treat this school as their own 'kingdom', my colleague Mr. Adair very aptly compared it to the behavior and actions of the old Mafia families of New York City."

Roger then distributed folders containing an edited and truncated compilation of the investigation results and copies of the charges we were prepared to file. Nigel continued "The bullying and beating of my client's son started soon after Mr. Melbury discovered some of the financial irregularities and brought them to the board's attention. You told him in no uncertain terms to look the other way and be silent. He had also received numerous complaints about the two boys in question. He brought those to the attention of the board and pointed out the legal ramifications if their behavior was allowed to continue, too. You told him that you essentially did not care and that he was to do _nothing_ about it. Shortly afterwards my client's son suddenly became the favorite target of these two boys. My client's son had no previous contact with these boys nor they with him in the school. He is in the Nursery and they are in pre-prep, which has little or no contact with each other in this school-they are in different buildings, have different dining facilities and different recreational areas. The headmaster's home is located in a private enclosure away from the school proper. The only way they would know who he was would be if they were told this. His surname is different than the rest of the Melbury's children and he looks nothing like the others. We are certain that they were instructed by _one or more of _you to target him to intimidate the Melbury's to be silent and to cause family problems which would lead to them begging out of their contracts _to their detriment and your profit_. You knew that their hands were tied in this situation and their only real choice to protect the health and welfare of my client's son would be to break their contracts. I will now give you a few moments to peruse the information contained in the packets you just received. Before you do I will instruct you that if any of you tries to leave this room before we are finished I will have the papers filed with the court. I have staff standing by waiting to do so. I also have members of my staff accompanied by police and private security personnel in position at the school, the office of your legal firm, your homes, and your banks. All of them have copies of the charges and will have copies of the necessary warrants within minutes of our filing with the court."

We sat and watched them as they read; it was interesting to see how their body language, the expressions on their faces and the pallor of their skin changed. It was satisfying; the bullies were finally getting what they deserved in more ways than one. One of them took out their mobile phone and soon realized that it didn't work. He looked puzzled and Roger said "Your mobile phone signals are being jammed to prevent you from trying to initiate the destruction of documents pertinent to this case." Their body language and facial expressions changed again-to those on people who knew they were cornered and trapped. I thought to myself that these people, despite their airs of superiority and arrogance, were rank amateurs. They were very big fish in the very small bowl of this school but very small fry in the greater scheme of things. For starters they did not know how to control their body language and faces when confronted by a formidable opponent-they were like five neon signs. They brought a very rusty and blunt knife to this nuclear war and they knew that now. After a couple of minutes the chairman of the board sighed and said "What do you _want?"_

Nigel pulled out copies of the buyout that he and his team had drafted and distributed them to all. I watched Stephan and Louisa out of the corner of my eye as he did so, they saw the figures and their eyes bulged slightly and very faint smiles crossed their faces. We sat and waited while the board read the buyout agreement. In observing their body language they seemed almost relieved, apparently Nigel was right in assuming that it would be mere 'chump change' to these people and they would think they were getting off lightly. Alistair put the buyout agreement into the packet with the rest of the papers and said "I think that I can speak for the entire board concerning this. We agree to the buyout in toto. I will have the bank draw up a certified cheque for the amount stated and will pay all moving expenses entailed. The cheque will be here by the end of business today." Nigel took out the original of the buyout contract and handed it over to them to sign, they did so. Then he handed it to Louisa and Stephan to sign and they did. After they had he gave it to me to sign and I did so. Nigel and Roger signed it and Nigel said "That concludes our business. I will, of course, keep my teams in place and we will stay here until the cheque is delivered and deposited into their account and the funds are verified." We all rose to leave, needless to say we didn't shake hands with them, and we escorted Louisa and Stephan outside for a breath of fresh air. We kept our attitudes focused as we walked and people scattered in our wake. He told the security detail inside to stay where they were and when we passed the security detail Nigel had positioned outside he motioned them to follow us as we walked over to a table under a large tree.

We sat down and only then did we let the masks drop. Nigel said with a laugh "I really _enjoyed_ that! It was well worth the trip!" He patted me on the back "That was an academy award winning performance you pulled off in there, _all without saying a word_. I was watching them and they couldn't bear to look at you. They were very afraid of you and they knew you meant business." Both Stephan and Louisa looked totally surprised and Stephan said "What the hell just happened in there? I thought they would laugh us out of the room." I replied "What you saw in there was a pure piece of theatre. We had enough evidence to make the claims we did, but if they wanted to fight us it would've taken months, possibly years, of discovery to ferret out enough to really make the charges stick. They would've probably destroyed most of the evidence today if they had the chance and it would've taken years to reconstruct. We _had_ to make them believe that we had much more than we did and I had to put on a very convincing show to make them believe that I would not rest until I saw the lot of them hanging from a gibbet. We had to get you out of your contracts _today__;_ otherwise all this would have been tied up in court for years." Roger laughed "My god, Martin! Nigel was right, you were turning that room into a freezer! I was waiting for you to pull out a scalpel and cut their hearts out. You should've been a lawyer, the hours are better. You really know how to instill fear in others to make them do what you want them to." I replied "I have to be able to do that. In my position I have to make people do what I need them to do _immediately_ and without argument and be very afraid of the consequences if they don't. My wife has a term for that, she says that I 'speak with the voice of Thule'. I don't know what that means really..." Stephan started to laugh "Oh my god, if that isn't the truth! That reminds me, I have to download the game so we can hop on there and play sometime. She's a fantastic Wizard...and a really good battle Druid...Anyway, 'The Voice of Thule' is a level 60 Shadowknight spell and it is used to increase the 'aggro' on the main tank so they take less notice of the Wizards who are nuking the crap out of them or the Clerics who are healing the tank. You are making the monster you are trying to kill do your bidding and ignore everyone else. For example, if it were cast on you everyone in the group, or raid, would see a comment pop up in their chat box that says "Martin speaks with the voice of nightmares."

A man walked over to us with an envelope in his hand. He handed it to Nigel "Here is your cheque and the information for the account that was set up with the removal service you requested." Nigel replied "Thank you. I will remove the security details and ourselves once this is deposited and the funds are verified to be in the Melbury's account." The man nodded and walked back to the main building. Nigel turned to Stephan "We will give you a ride over to your bank so you can deposit this." Stephan gave Louisa a kiss and said "I'll be back in as soon as I can, honey. Do you want to come along?" Louisa replied "No. I think I'll stay here and have a catch up with Martin. We've not had much time to talk recently." Stephan rubbed her back "OK...I'll see you two in a bit." With that Nigel, Roger and he headed off to the car.


	82. Chapter 82-Terrible Splendor

**_Chapter 82: Terrible Splendor_**

Louisa and I watched them drive off "It's a very good thing you've done, Martin. Thank you." I looked down at my hands "I'm glad I could help." She took my hand and held it between hers "_I don't think you truly understand the depth and scope of what you've just done. You saved our family and have now enabled us to go home to the place we love-to be happy and free from worry_. It was getting bad over the last month. We were frightened by what was going on and felt trapped and helpless. James was scared, sad and withdrawing into his shell and the other children were starting to, too. Our home was turning from a happy, noisy place full of playing children to a place of silence and palpable dread. Stephan and I were seriously considering having me and the children move back to Port Wenn while he stayed here-neither one of us liked the idea but it seemed our _only_ option." I smiled "I know it was bad...I didn't want to tell you this until it was all over but James was so distraught by what was going on that he asked me if he could come live with us in Houston. That upset me greatly because I knew that he wouldn't ask something like that unless he was terribly upset and frightened. I finally managed to get him to explain why he wanted to. It wasn't because, as I first thought it might be, when he's with us he gets to do all sorts of fun and interesting things. _No, he wanted to protect __you__! He felt that if he left those kids would leave the rest of his brothers and sisters alone and all the problems for everyone would go away._ _He wouldn't be scared anymore and everyone else would be happy. _I must add that if there is anyone to thank in all of this it is Katie. She was the one that came up with the whole idea of 'going nuclear' on the board and suggested I call Danny to get someone from his London office to help. My poor love may have a hole in her head right now but that brain of hers is still works like a charm." Louisa started to cry, I reached for my pocket to get my handkerchief and she pulled a packet of tissues out of her purse, held them up and smiled "For once I remembered to have some on hand!" and we both laughed.

She dried her tears and blew her nose "I have to say something and it is going to be very hard to put into words..." She looked down at the tissue in her hands and a minute or two passed before she spoke "When James came back from visiting you in May he showed us all the videos and photos he took and told us all about his trip. Through his eyes I began to see the man you truly are when placed in the environment you belong in, doing what you were meant to do and with people of your own kind who you are most comfortable with. Surgeons, scientists, lawyers, financiers-people of great talent, power and intelligence. Through the videos and photos you and Katie sent us of your voyage to Aitutaki and your visit there I saw the man you truly are when paired with a woman who you were meant to be with. I saw a man who was daring and unafraid-who thought nothing of sailing across thousands of miles of open ocean. Who tried new things and exceled at them. A man who wasn't, as I always thought, clumsy and stiff but quite athletic, graceful and agile. A man with a quick wit and quirky sense of humor. The reason why you were the person you were in those videos was Katie. Instead of trying to cage and reinvent you like I did she freed you and helped you to become the person you could be and _wanted to be_. Today I saw you finally unveiled and unchained in all of your terrible splendor-_it was a frightening thing to behold_. A very strong and intimidating man of great power, talent, intelligence and wisdom-confident, in control and in command. A man that who, by his mere presence at the table and without saying a word, made people who I thought were not afraid of anything or anyone tremble in fear and were willing to give you what you wanted just to make you leave. _This man is a man I never knew existed._ Why? Because for years I was too busy trying to mold you into _the man I wanted you to be_ and never saw or tried to understand _the man you truly are_. I wanted to turn you into a man like Stephan and could never accept the fact, that no matter what, you were _always_ going to be Martin. _Two vastly different men from two vastly different worlds_. I should've known better and for that I am sorry. The only defense I have is that I was blinded by my love for you."

_"__We were right in what we said to each other when we called off our wedding, in retrospect it was one of the few moments of clarity in our relationship. I needed to be with a man like Stephan and you needed to be with a woman like Katie. _She is a force of nature- a highly intelligent, very wise and confident woman of rare accomplishments and talents with a temperament, tastes and sense of humor that mesh well with yours. A woman who is powerful and in command in her own right and is not easily intimidated-I could've never said what she said to Edith, I would've wilted like a flower in front of a blowtorch. _You two truly are soul mates_. Stephan is my soul mate-we are alike in many aspects and our patterns of thought and temperaments are the same. Our talents, tastes, attitudes and sense of humor mesh well with one another. He is a loving, kind, gentle man who loves doing the things I love doing. We love the simple life of a teacher in a small village-happy to ignore and be ignored by the world at large. You and Katie are comfortable living in a big city making the impossible seem easy and the entire world is your 'playground'. I don't know if this makes sense to you..."

I thought for a moment then took her hand and said. "It does...I have thought about what happened between us for a long time and I think that it was a very good thing overall. I do not regret one moment of our marriage-the good or the bad. We did love each other and even though we couldn't make our marriage work it gave us the necessary experience and understanding to be able to make it work when our soul mates finally did come along. _We had to go through the fire of our relationship and marriage and come out the other side in order to become the people we needed to be for_ _them_...and that is a _very good thing_ in my opinion, though it was quite painful for both of us at times. We did manage to do a couple of very good things together. One of them is James. I know I have said this before and I will keep on saying it but I thank you for the wonderful gift that is him. I love him with a depth of feeling I never thought possible in me and _I would not be who I am today without him_. The second is that I have to thank you for who and what we are today-very good friends who share a special bond. As we both know the relationship we have now is quite unique, there are very few divorced couples that remain good friends with their ex's. It is even rarer for them to become even better friends after they remarry. _I think that is a wonderful tribute not only to who we are and have become but to the people we married." _She smiled "It _is_ a unique relationship we have now, isn't it? You have gone from being my husband to the closest thing I have to a big brother-from my 'prince charming' to my 'knight in shining armor'. And you're right, _anyone else_ but the people we married would not understand this _at all_. Most spouses of a divorced couple would get jealous and angry about it, but both Stephan and Katie understand it and are not threatened by it and have become friends themselves. It _is_ a wonderful tribute to all of us and for that I am very grateful."

The car that contained Nigel, Roger and Stephan pulled into the parking area and they got out and walked towards us. Stephan gave Louisa a kiss and sat down next to her. Nigel said "Everything is in order. The money is in the account and I have verified the arrangements made with the removal company. I have also made arrangements for a security detail to remain here to ensure there are no problems for you until you move. Our work here is done." He handed Louisa and Stephan business cards "If either of you have questions or have _any_ problems in the slightest _do __not_ hesitate to call me-day or night. If I'm unavailable leave a message on my phone, if it is an emergency call the answering service number and they will immediately assist you until such time as I can be available. I might be in court and not able to act right away, I have a big case that goes to court next week. If there is nothing further Roger and I are going to catch the train back to London." Louisa and Stephan rose and shook their hands and thanked them and I got up and walked them back to their car "Thank you both for your assistance in this matter. I couldn't have done it without you two." Nigel laughed "It was our pleasure and I really did enjoy it! It's always fun to hand out a thrashing to a bunch of arrogant bullies." Roger chuckled "It sure was fun to watch them all turn green when the realization crossed their puny brains that we had them by the balls! The Melbury's are good people and it pissed me off to see what those jerks were doing to them and especially to your son." The chauffer opened the door for them, Roger got in and Nigel said to me "We didn't get a chance to have our scotch and chess session. Some other time. I do get to Houston occasionally, the home office is there and we have an annual meeting there that I attend and sometimes I have to go there to assist on a case. We'll have to get together then if you and your lovely wife don't come to London before that." I replied "We would be happy to have you as our guest! I know Katie would love to meet you and thank you for what you did. Thank you once again!"

The chauffer shut the doors and drove off and I walked back to Louisa and Stephan, I could tell by observing that Louisa had gone into one of her crying jags and debated if I should hold back a bit to give them privacy. Stephan must've guessed what I was thinking because he waved me over to them. Louisa sat up and dried her tears, she had gone through quite a few tissues and they were in a pile on the table. Stephan said as I sat down "Thank you so much for everything! The weight of the world has lifted off our shoulders." Louisa looked at her watch "Oh my...the day has passed so fast. It's time for the children to get out of school. Let's go fetch them and tell them the good news, they'll be so happy!" As we walked Stephan asked "When do you have to leave, Martin? We were thinking of taking the children out to dinner tonight to celebrate and we'd be pleased to have you as our guest." I replied "My flight is set for tomorrow afternoon. I was going to take the train down to London early tomorrow morning and pick up a few things at Hamley's before heading to the airport. We're just starting to put the nursery together and wanted to pick up some stuffed animals, including one of their Emperor Penguins for Katie." Louisa laughed "You're buying _her_ a stuffed animal? Why?" I told them about the time Katie told me that she wished she was an Emperor Penguin, they both laughed and Louisa said "'So long, _sucker_, thanks for the feet!' _That's hilarious!_ Oh, god...I really _do_ love her, Martin!" I smiled and replied "So do I!"

I guess all schools are the same, at the end of the day the children run out like the building is on fire. The nursery got out first so we went to collect James. I saw him in the crowd and it hit me just how much he has grown over the last year, he was a good half a head taller than the others. Instead of running towards us like a rocket as he usually did he walked very tentatively and looked somewhat frightened. We looked at each other, worried that something might have happened to him that we didn't know about. When he arrived I crouched down and asked him what was wrong. He said "I _saw_ you today, daddy..._you scared me!" _I smiled and gave him a hug "I'm very sorry that I did, I didn't mean to. Remember what we talked about yesterday?" He nodded "We won the war. You're all going to move back home to Port Wenn. You're safe now and don't have to worry anymore, those mean boys will _never_ bother you again." He looked up at Louisa and Stephan and they nodded that it was all true then he hugged me and gave me a big kiss "Oh daddy...I love you so much! I'm so happy! You're so brave..." then he hugged and kissed Louisa and Stephan. Louisa and I took his hands and swinged him as we walked to collect the other children. Once they all had been collected we walked back to their house. Louisa made us tea and I sat outside on their terrace while they explained to the children in private what had just occurred and what was going to happen. I looked at the time and called Katie. She didn't answer so I left a message and told her that I loved her and I would try again later. She must be in PT; Grant was going to start working with her this morning. I thought about what she must be going through right now and hoped that it wasn't too bad. Today we would know for certain if her coordination and balance had been affected by her injuries. It was going to be hard on her to go through this, especially with being very pregnant. I just hoped she didn't give Grant too hard of a time, she was going to be very angry and frustrated with herself and would probably end up in tears more than once. I thought of that picture of her as a little girl learning to walk again after the fire and felt bad that I wasn't there to help her and comfort her today; I would be there tomorrow and thereafter.

Stephan came out on the terrace with his tea and sat down "Louisa is getting them all ready to go out to dinner. I just wanted to say thank you for everything. I don't know what we would've done without your help. There was nothing I could do that wouldn't have totally ruined us-the penalties for breaking my contract were more than we could afford to bear. We were both so upset over what was happening to James but couldn't get him to talk about it, after the incident where we had to take him to the Doctor we knew what was going on but could do nothing without getting him to tell us. He just would not talk...and he suffered greatly for it. I am sorry for that; I want you to know that I care about him as if he was my son and I feel like I have been a failure to him _and you_. I couldn't do what I needed to do to protect my family." I said "Don't feel that way. You were trapped by circumstances that you could not control. You did the very best you could and tried to do the right thing, and that is what counts the most." He looked at the tea in his cup "I'm not capable of the kind of thing I saw you do this morning. I don't have the strength of mind and sheer force of presence. If I had not known you I would have trembled in fear like I saw a couple of the board members do. I don't know if you noticed but one of them had to put his hands under the table, they were shaking so bad. They didn't fear me, _they were frightened by you_. When it was all over and we reached the table under the tree I found it surprising that all of you could just 'switch' off the way you were behaving. I then realized that it was just as you said a 'pure piece of theatre'-a one act play that set us free from an awful decision on my part. Not only does it set us free from this prison it ensures that we are free from worry and will be able to provide for our children. It is a very good thing you have done for us and I don't know how we will ever be able to repay you." I put my hand on his shoulder "The very best way you can repay me is to be who you are. A good man who loves his wife and children. A man who loves to teach and cares about his students. _Use your days well and __live_, that will be repayment enough."

Louisa popped her head out and said "We're ready to go! We'll have to take both vehicles to get there, though." I rode with Louisa, James and the younger children while the older ones rode with Stephan in my old Lexus. The children were all excited at the prospect of moving back and thanked me for making it possible. Apparently Stephan and Louisa had told them _everything_ about what had happened earlier. Louisa whispered to me as we were driving along "Look at James in the rear view mirror. That little boy is all puffed up with love and pride in his father-you are his hero! The other children think of you as a kind of hero, too. They hate living here and wanted to go back home so badly and you are the one that are making that possible. We also told them we would take them to Disney World next summer for a holiday, too. Perhaps you and Katie would like to join us or we could come and visit you in Houston." I thought for a moment then said "How would you like to come with us next summer to Aitutaki? I'd have to check with Katie but I know she would love to have you come along and I think it could be done. It might be a bit crowded on the boat but we don't spend much time in it when we're there, anyway. We're out swimming, diving, Kitesurfing or just relaxing on the beach." Louisa replied "Hmmmm...Now that's an idea! We could always go to Disney World for Christmas break instead and I think the children would love it. I don't know about sailing that far, though." I laughed "I hadn't intended you to do so. We'd sail the boat up there and you and the family would fly there and we'd pick you up at the airport." Louisa laughed "You _are_ aware of the fact that there would be _three babies_ on board, right?" It was my turn to laugh "Knowing Katie she would say 'We'll just put up a big baby pen on the beach and let them have at it-they'll all be crawling around by then. A tarp for shade, a little plastic mesh fencing to keep them corralled and a tarp and blankets to cover the floor-toss some toys in _et voilà!_ They'll be happy...we'll be happy...everyone will be happy! The worst thing out there is a Hermit Crab so they'll be safe."

With a large family I hadn't expected that we would be going to a five star restaurant but the one we did go to was quite nice, the food surprisingly good and quite healthy. The children excitedly talked about moving back 'home' and about going to Disney World while Louisa, Stephan and I talked about their plans. Stephan said he was going to call Stu McKenzie and ask if the headmaster job was still open at Port Wenn Primary and Louisa had a very good idea if it was. She said "I was just thinking...As we all know one of the biggest problems the villagers face is good child care for the babies and preschoolers. What we could do is open a child care facility adjacent to the school if possible, or close to it. That way parents wouldn't have to go far to pick up all of their children and we'd be providing a great service to the community. It would also provide some badly needed jobs there and make it possible for some families that might have to move away to stay. Make the costs as reasonable as possible so the most could benefit from the service. I could run that with some help...maybe Roger and Maureen might move back and help with it. I know they want to move back but need the extra money that Maureen brings in from her job. They still own their house there; currently they are renting it out." Stephan said "That is a wonderful idea! You're right, it would provide a badly needed service to the community and some badly needed jobs. We'll have to look into doing it." I replied "I am sure that Nigel would be more than happy to assist you with the legal aspects of doing this. I would make one suggestion for it, though. Make sure that the staff is trained to and practice proper hygiene, sanitation and first aid skills and that you have a dedicated room for any sick child or children to avoid spreading any illness they may have to the others." Louisa laughed "God...remember the 'impetigo' outbreak and how we fought over that! I was _so angry_ at you, especially after I found out it wasn't impetigo at all but some disease they caught from _your_ dog!" I replied "It wasn't my dog." Louisa started howling with laughter. Stephan was perplexed and Louisa told him about how I was the village 'stray dog magnet'. Louisa also mentioned what we discussed in the car on the way to the restaurant. Stephan was all for it "That place is gorgeous and I think the children would have a better time there than in Florida in the middle of August. From what I gather it is very hot there during that time." I laughed "Take it from me, you will feel like a slowly steamed Lobster in the heat and humidity of August in Florida. If you live there eventually you get used to it but it can be very hard to deal with if you aren't." Stephan asked the children "Would you like to go with Martin and Katie to Aitutaki next summer and go to Disney World for Christmas break next year?" Bryan asked "Would we get to ride on the sailboat to get there? I think that would be so much fun! We'd get to see all sorts of animals and maybe get to see a pumice raft, too!" The other children also said they wanted to ride on the sailboat to get there, something none of the adults were prepared for. We all thought they would have no interest in doing so. I explained to them "It's a very long way from Akaroa, it takes a week to sail there. The start of the journey starts off very cold, it's winter at that time in New Zealand." I listed off all the other things to them-most of the time there is nothing but ocean to see, the possibility of storms, no internet, etc. They didn't care, they wanted to go on the boat. I finally said "Well, that would be for Katie and your parents to decide. She is the captain of the boat and knows it and its capabilities far better than I do." They then started talking about going on a long sailboat journey and the adults went back to their discussions. I did show Louisa and Stephan what I was getting Katie for Christmas and their jaws dropped. I also discussed some financial matters with them and investment strategies and offered to contact Jimmy Larkin to ask if he could assist them in that area. He had done a fantastic job with my investments almost doubling what I had in six months; hopefully he could do the same for Louisa and Stephan if he agreed to take them on as clients.

After dinner Louisa, James and I got into the Lexus while Stephan drove the rest of the children home. We pulled up to my hotel and Louisa said "Thank you again for everything! I don't know how we can ever repay your kindness. You are a good man, Martin." I replied "I will tell you what I told Stephan earlier; _Use your days well and __live_, that will be repayment enough. One thing I wanted to remind you of is that the removal service will pack everything for you so do not overstress yourself. Sit back, relax and let them do the work. You need to rest, you are close to your due date and you don't need to be stressed out at this time." She laughed "Seems I've heard that lecture before, Doctor!" James crawled over the seat and sat in my lap and hugged me "I love you, daddy! I wish you didn't have to go but I know you have to go home to be with Katie. She needs you. She's all alone in the hospital." He pulled the medicine bag out of his pocket and handed it to me "Please give this back to Katie. It's hers and she needs it now. I am going to make my own medicine bag and I took the piece of paper she put in hers for me out of it so I could put it in mine. I learned how to make one and what to put into it." I kissed him "I love you, James! I know Katie will be quite pleased to hear that you're making your own bag and putting the piece of paper in it." Louisa asked "What piece of paper?" James took it out of his pocket and showed her. She was puzzled "What language is that? I can't read it. What does it say?" James said "Daddy, take off your ring and show mummy what it says." I smiled and took off my wedding band and handed it to Louisa, she inspected the inscription and handed it back. "It is Sindarian and the inscription says in English 'If you trust nothing else, trust this. Trust us.' She told James before he left Houston; 'Trust your father and your mother to defend and protect you. Trust Stephan and me to aid them in doing so. Trust us and be not afraid of these bullies.'" Louisa smiled "She is a very wise woman." I nodded "Yes, she is and I am very lucky to have her. Well, we'd all better be going. You two have a long drive and a lot to do when you get home and I have to call Katie to see how she is doing. She had her first physical therapy session today and we'll know if she suffered any balance and coordination problems from the accident. That is the last big question that needed to be answered, so far she has done amazingly well and seems to be relatively unscathed by it in the greater scheme of things. It could've been much, much worse..." I gave James a hug and kiss "So long for now, son. I love you so much! Be a good boy for mummy and Stephan and we'll see you in February." He hugged me and gave me a kiss. Tears were welling up in his eyes "I love you so much, daddy! You promised me everything would be better and it is! I'm so lucky to have a daddy like you...you can do everything!" I laughed "Not everything...Anyway, I'd better get going. Drive safely and let me know how things are going, Louisa and I'll be seeing you on Skype on Thursday to find out how things are for you, James." I got out of the car and closed the door and James and I waved to each other as they drove off.


	83. Chapter 83-A Bottle of Maple Syrup

**_Chapter 83: A Bottle of Maple Syrup_**

Today is going to be a very good day, Katie is finally coming home. Everyone signed off on her this morning and she has been discharged, I would've been down there with her but we ran into some complications during the procedure I was performing this morning. The only problem she still has is with her right hand but it is minor and can be resolved by outpatient surgery after she gives birth. Just some minor nerve problems affecting the middle two fingers of her right hand that causes a persistent tingling sensation that is rather annoying to her. Her sense of touch with them is not affected and her hand is fully functional otherwise. _All in all we've been so lucky!_ By all medical reasoning she should not be coming home today given the nature of her initial injuries. The only reason Ryan, Ivan and Matsuko can give for this was best summed up by Foghorn "She is one of those rare cases that falls under the classification of 'medical miracle'-they don't often happen but they do. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, son! _Just accept it and be thankful for it_." I think back to what Louisa said and wonder if she was right. Pray. Hope. Love... I've never believed in miracles before but right now one is is on her way up to my office. Matsuko has told both of us that she is certain that the twins will be arriving 1-3 weeks early-they are growing fast and will run out of room well before their due date. This is not an unusual occurrence. She also informed us that she would not recommend a natural birth for them. Their positioning has changed and it would be quite difficult and dangerous for both Katie and the twins to attempt it, combine that with the Rh factor problems and Katie's somewhat weakened physical state has led Matsuko to recommend a caesarian for her. She doesn't want to take chances with them or her. Katie isn't exactly overjoyed at the prospect of having another surgery and hospital stay and neither am I. My wonderful, nutty wife who always tries to find the positives in a bad situation said with a mischievous smile when Matsuko told us that "Look on the bright side, hun...at least things won't be getting all stretched out down there!"

We've been busy the last two weeks getting everything ready to put the nursery together when she comes home. We'd already bought the major furniture items but needed to get all the rest. Due to her condition we couldn't go shopping for them so we spent the evenings over the last two weeks making lists of what we still needed, reading reviews, selecting which ones we wanted and ordering them so they would be on hand when she came home. That way all we'd have to do is unpack them, put together the items that need assembly and set everything up. All we have left to get are some small items; all the major purchases are done. After much discussion we also decided on the color to paint the nursery and will be doing that this weekend-I wanted to keep it the neutral beige it is already painted in, she wanted the greens, blues, greys and whites of a snowy forest. I lost that discussion though I do think that the colors she chose are nice. She also has a large stencil of the winter night sky that is appropriately called 'Night Sky' that she's going to use on the ceiling. It uses glow in the dark paint that isn't visible until the lights are off and it is night. On another note she has been cleared to drive so we're going to order a new Merc wagon for her to replace the one that was wrecked, it's a special order so will take a few weeks to get here.

The only questionable thing that will occur today is the arrival of my Aunt Ruth. She isn't coming here to see us; she's coming here to see Don though I would imagine we'll be seeing her sometime during her stay. The court case she was supposed to testify in was pushed back so she couldn't come at the end of October like she had planned so Don flew over to London and spent the week. I found out about it on the day I left for home. I had just arrived at Euston when my phone rang-it was Don. He said he had arrived in town on Saturday and wondered if I wanted to meet him and Robert for lunch before I left. It was a good lunch, mostly shop talk and we came up with some good ideas for some joint projects during it. From what we gathered he and Ruth were having a splendid time which shocked me. Ruth is not the easiest person to get along with...

I was on the phone when I heard Justine exclaim "Hello, Katie! I bet you're glad you finally get to go home! How ya doing, hun?" She replied "I am _so glad_ I'm finally getting out of here! Not that I don't love you and everyone else, I just want to sleep in my own bed and not have doctors poking and prodding me every four hours...well, I won't mind _one doctor_ doing that ifyouknowwhatimean..." Walid had placed me on hold as Justine laughed then they lowered their voices so I couldn't hear them but I could... "I _do_ know what you mean and I think that _one doctor_ is going to be _very happy_ to be able to poke and prod you again! He's been sorta grumpy and snippy the last couple of weeks; I don't think he's been sleeping well." Katie replied "I know he hasn't, my poor baby...He's been spending way too much time here. Say, do you have those boxes I had delivered here last week? It's his birthday present." I could hear Justine digging in her desk then getting up "I had them placed in the big safe in accounting. I'll go get them, be right back. He's on the phone..." She rounded the corner carrying her discharge papers, sat down and waited for me to finish. She looked happy but a bit tired in a grey tunic and jeans , her head covered by a pretty black scarf with a delicate silver print. They had shaved her head and her hair hadn't grown out enough to cover the scar. I finished my call and I walked around the desk and we kissed. We parted and just held one another for some time-it felt good... She smiled and caressed my cheek "Happy birthday, my love!" I hugged her and kissed her again "Yes it is...you're finally coming home! It's a very empty and lonely place without you..." We sat on the sofa and I held her. She smiled "Well, what do you want to do tonight, birthday boy?" I kissed her on the cheek "I just want to spend a nice, quiet night cuddled up with you. That's all I want to do." She snuggled up to me "Sounds like a perfect way to spend the evening." Justine had come back and popped her head in "Dr. Ellingham, your meeting is in ten minutes." "Thank you, Justine!" I gave Katie a kiss and went over to my desk and grabbed the folder with my notes "This shouldn't take too long, sweetie." She smiled "Have fun! I'll be right here..."

The meeting was fairly short as these things go. Everyone gave their weekly report, there were a few questions and comments, we talked for a bit and then it broke up. On the way back to the office I hoped I wasn't walking into some form of surprise birthday party. I'm not a big fan of them; I'm also not especially fond of cake. I took a deep breath and walked into my outer office and breathed a sigh of relief. Justine said with a smile "Don't worry, no surprise party. We wanted to give you one but Katie told us not to, said you aren't too fond of surprise parties or cake." I smiled "She is a wise woman. Is she still in the office?" Justine nodded "She's taking a nap on the sofa, poor thing. She told me that she wants you to wake her up when you came back.." I thanked her, made an espresso and walked into my office. She was curled up under a blanket and sleeping so peacefully I debated for a moment whether or not to wake her. I also saw a brightly wrapped package on the coffee table and a pair of latex gloves. I crouched down next to her and gently kissed her cheek, her beautiful eyes opened sleepily and she stretched and sat up "Have a good time, my love?" I sat down next to her and put my arm around her "It was the usual department head meeting, nothing special." She smiled and picked up the package and handed it to me "Happy birthday, my love! Open it...I can't wait! Oh, before you do put on the gloves." I put them on and wondered why I would need gloves to open it, after I did I understood. I gasped and was quite stunned _"Where on earth did you find this?"_ It was a book, not just any ordinary book. It was a first edition of 'De humani corporis fabrica libri septem' by Vesalius and signed by the author. It was in excellent condition considering that it was over 500 years old-intact and complete. I carefully leafed through the book, the engravings were astounding works of art in their own right. It had been rebound at some time in its history and the case it was enclosed in was modern but the contents of the book were original. I set it down carefully, took her into my arms and gave her a long, loving kiss, when we parted I said "Thank you, sweetheart! It is a _precious gift_..." She smiled "I'm glad you like it! It took me a while to find a copy and I was so excited when I finally did. Thank god you were over in the UK when the auction was on, poor Ryan thought I was going to stroke out when I won it." She picked up an envelope off the table and handed it to me "This is the provenance for it. I also ordered a display case for it if you want to display it; it's in the box behind Justine's desk." I picked it up again and carefully leafed through it, translating some of the Latin text and explaining some of the engravings to Katie. I heard Don in the outer office "Is he still in or did he take off already?" Justine replied "Nope, he's still in there."

"Teaching Katie some Latin? Doesn't her head hurt enough?" We laughed and Don walked over and gave Katie a kiss on the cheek then saw what I was reading "Is _that_ what I think it is?" I smiled "Yes, it is! I don't know how she found it or knew that it was one of the books that I'd always wanted for my collection." She giggled "You told me." I looked at her "When? I don't recall it." She tapped her head gently "Photographic memory...You remember that first night we spent together when we were discussing our book collections? You told me then. As to how I found it...The internet is a wonderful thing, especially when you're stuck in a hospital bed. I found it on Christie's website." I tossed Don the box of gloves, he put a pair on and I gently handed him the book to examine. "It's a first edition and signed! Katie...if you ever get tired of this big lug will you marry me?" She laughed "I love ya, Don...but you already have your own Ellingham flying in this evening." He smiled "Yes I do...and that is the reason I stopped by. We were wondering if you would like to join us for dinner if you two feel up to it. We aren't going anywhere fancy, just to Papasito's." I replied "I don't know, we'd planned on spending a quiet night at home..." Katie sighed "As much as I'd love to I don't know if I'm up to it yet. You can go if you want to, babycakes. I'll be fine at home, I'll probably sleep while you're gone." I could tell she was already getting sleepy "Some other time, Don. Thank you for the offer, though!" Don could see that she was getting tired, too, and set the book down on the table "I understand completely. Well, I'd better make my way over to the airport and you'd better take her home. We'll stop by tomorrow." I replied "That will be fine, we're not going anywhere." After Don left I carefully put the book back in its case then into my briefcase "You think you can handle the walk to the car?" She stood up and wobbled, I took her by the arm to steady her "Thanks, hun! Don't worry, I'm OK. It's hard to balance with these two, I have to find my feet by feel...I can't see them!" I put my arm around her "Ready?" She looked up at me and smiled "I've been ready for the last six weeks...let's go home!"

She perked up considerably when we finally made it home. "Ah, home sweet home!" I set my briefcase down on the desk, swept her into my arms and we kissed a very long, loving and rather passionate kiss. We held and caressed each other, enjoying the fact that we could again. I whispered "Need a nap?" She smiled "Yes...I might need some help up the stairs, though. It's been a while since I used them." I put my arm around her and we started to walk towards the stairs and she stopped. "Wait a minute, you stay right here. I need to get something, be right back." She went into the kitchen and came back with another brightly wrapped package "I almost forgot your _other_ birthday present!" I hugged her "Oh, sweetie! You already have given me a precious gift..." She put her finger to my lips and whispered "Shhhh...Just open it." I unwrapped and opened it; it was a bottle of Maple syrup. I was perplexed "Planning on making pancakes?" She smiled a very mischievous smile, took the bottle from my hand and put her arm around me. "If you will kindly help me up the stairs I will give you a demonstration of one of the _many_ uses of Maple syrup, _birthday boy!"_ I smiled and helped her up the stairs, as we were climbing them I said "I'm guessing you aren't as sleepy as you led us to believe." She giggled "Not in the least...ask yourself if you'd want to spend the evening with Don and Aunt Ruth or with me and a bottle of Maple syrup?'" I laughed "I'd much rather spend the evening with you, hands down!" As we walked into the bedroom she giggled "Hands aren't the only things that are going down tonight, hun!"

_It was the best birthday I'd ever had._


	84. Chapter 84-One Down, One to Go

**_Chapter 84: One Down, One to Go_**

I have one 'Christmas tradition'. Every year, with rare exception, I have always volunteered to work Christmas Eve and Christmas day for one of my colleagues so they can have the holiday off for two reasons. One is that it allows the person who would have to work the chance to have the holiday off to spend with their families; the second is that work kept me from me from thinking about the horrible Christmases I had as a boy. Before I went to boarding school it was two fun filled days of listening to my parents arguing or being the target of their wrath, afterwards I would spend Christmas at school in the care of the staff while my parents went 'somewhere warm'. Working during Christmas also kept me from thinking how alone I was. Christmas is the worst day of the year for someone who has no one-everything is closed and everyone you know are with their families. The rare exception had been the one 'good year' of my marriage to Louisa. It meant so much to her that I had asked Chris to take me off the on call rota for it. I should've had him leave me on it, Louisa and I had a huge argument on Christmas Day. She just couldn't understand why I wasn't as enamored with Christmas as she was and I should've just kept my mouth shut about the 'useless calories'. By the time the next Christmas rolled around I had moved back into the surgery. During those Christmases I would give Louisa my presents to James from 'Father Christmas' early so she would have them on hand and we would arrange a time for me to stop by and give my presents to James and spend some time with him. The Christmases I spent as a GP were always busy, I was the only one on duty for a 60 mile radius and it was an endless stream of emergencies and house calls.

I had told Katie about my 'Christmas tradition' and inwardly cringed waiting for her response to it. She thought it was a wonderful idea and she had a similar tradition, she would volunteer to take jobs that needed to be done over Christmas-'hot shot' deliveries of equipment or personnel to remote villages or flying life flight operations. During the years she spent in Antarctica Christmas was a regular work day-the season is so short that operations had to continue nonstop until fall. Last year she had spent Christmas flying personnel and equipment to a camp near Mount Takahe in Marie Byrd Land. For those contract workers who had the day off it was a depressing day-no one had families there, no one could go home and what little communication to the outside world was rationed and brief so many of them who were not working spent the time having drunken parties to cheer themselves up. I asked her if she minded if I worked for Karl this year running the ER, she thought it was a great idea. Pam had to work that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, she was anchoring the evening newscasts. That way one of them would be home with their children. She said "I'll come up there with you. We can talk while you aren't busy and I'm self-entertaining if you are, I can talk to other people or maybe do something to help out. If I get tired I'll just go up to your office and take a nap on the sofa. Besides, I know that all you'd do is worry that something might happen to me and I wouldn't be able to call for help. You don't need that distraction" I was somewhat relieved that she wanted to come because I would worry and that _would_ be distracting. Peter and Minh are in the UK and I didn't relish the thought of her being home alone. We decided that we would exchange gifts on Boxing Day and spend it sleeping and relaxing. By then I would be knackered after working two days straight.

I asked her what her Christmases were like when she was a child and she had good memories of the time before her mother died. She told me "We lived in a small log cabin without electricity so we didn't have a 'Christmas tree' like everyone else. There was no room to put one up and there would be no way to light it except by using candles. That would've been pretty stupid-a dried out tree with candles in a house made out of pine logs in the middle of nowhere. What we did do is make popcorn strings and decorate one of the young pine trees outside. It was our 'Christmas gift' to the birds and other animals. They would come and eat the popcorn off the string-winter is hard for them and the extra food helped. We had a crèche that we used as a substitute 'Christmas tree'; we'd put our presents to one another under the table it stood on and Santa would leave my presents there, too. Santa is a smart guy. We'd also decorate the house with streamers and snowflake cutouts that my mom and I would make and pictures I'd draw. We'd also make Christmas cookies and it was fun decorating them. The last year we did so I thought the snowman cookies looked like light bulbs so I decorated them as light bulbs, mom and I made up lyrics and sang 'Frosting the light bulbs' to the tune of 'Frosty the Snowman'. By that time John was already off working and Mary had run away so it was just me and mom and dad. We'd go into Homer on Christmas day to go to mass unless the weather was bad. Another tradition we had would be to sit in front of the fire and listen to Radio Canada on the shortwave to hear Fireside Al read 'The Shepherd'. I still listen to it every Christmas and it still makes me cry at the end."

"After the fire I spent the next Christmas in Salt Lake City at the hospital and I cried all day-my dad couldn't make it down there because of a big snowstorm and I was all alone. The nurses tried to cheer me up but I wasn't going there. I'd cry myself to sleep, wake up, cry myself to sleep-wash, rinse repeat. Almost all of the rest of them I'd spend with my dad somewhere in the middle of nowhere. He had to work hard to pay off my hospital bills and to make extra money to keep his guide business going and expanded it into a hot shot business. He would fly hot shot deliveries and life flights during that time and I'd be up in the co-pilot seat. We'd either end up having Christmas dinner with someone along the way or he'd land the plane on some frozen river or lake and we'd have some fried canned ham, instant mashed potatoes and canned vegetables that we would cook on a stove outside and eat in the plane. For dessert we'd have Christmas candy. It wasn't a 'Hallmark card' kind of Christmas but it worked for us-it would be beautiful with the light of the aurora on the snow. Dad started flying for the Diamond mines in the NWT during the winter, he made a lot of money doing it so one year we spent Christmas in Yellowknife, another we spent in Whitehorse. My dad died on Christmas Eve, he was flying a life flight operation and the plane went down in a blizzard en route. I was in Seattle; it was my freshman year of college. They never found the wreckage, he's out there somewhere in the taiga. I tried to find the wreckage the following spring but never saw a hint of it-he probably crashed hard, the plane disintegrated and the wreckage is either at the bottom of a lake or smothered by foliage. I finally gave up and went to Britain for the rest of the summer. He's happy out there; he loved what he was doing and where he was doing it at."

Christmas Eve morning came and we packed clothing and other essentials we'd need over the next two days then went over to the hospital. I helped her with setting up the sleeper part of the sofa and make the bed then we went downstairs for the bedlam that can be a hospital emergency room on Christmas. Foghorn and Chandra were there. Their children were grown and live far away so they were doing the same thing I was-working so others could be with their families. Ryan was working, too. His chief resident was getting married over the holidays. Christmas Eve day is fairly 'quiet' compared to what it would be like later on so we had some time to talk in between triage, consultations and my administrative duties. I had learned last year that there are many 'pools' going on during Christmas-the GSW pool, the HDTV pool, the 'most people involved in one auto accident' pool, etc.. Foghorn started up the 'Cajun Turkey' pool-you paid $5 to enter and you had to guess the number of burn cases that would come in over the next two days from, as Foghorn put it, 'likkered up idjits' trying to deep fry a turkey. The person who guessed closest to that number without going over won the pool. I _always_ decline to participate in pools of that nature, Katie put her $5 in and guessed 14.

Things were fairly quiet to start out with and I had enough time to put in a short Skype call to James to wish him a happy Christmas before he had to go to bed. The Melbury's had a full house for Christmas-Stephan's parents had come down from Bristol and Louisa's father was there-he had been released from prison a couple of months ago, had found a job in Truro and seemed to be turning his life around. They had moved back to our old house on Roscarrock Hill and Stephan had been hired as the headmaster of Port Wenn Primary. Louisa had her baby two weeks ago-a fine little girl who looks like her mother and they named her Katherine Rose "to honor the remarkable woman who came up with the plan that saved us all". Katie was quite overwhelmed by this, so was I-neither one of us thought that we had done anything _that _special. The children all were happy to be home again and James had gone back to his happy, bubbly, curious self-the psychological scars were fading fast for _all_ of them. Louisa's plans for a child care center were moving along nicely-the village council approved and the villagers themselves were happy and excited by the prospect of having such a facility run by someone they loved, knew and trusted. Louisa had taken my advice and contacted Nigel and he had someone from his office that specialized in ventures of this nature assist her with the legal aspects of it on a pro bono basis and George offered to give training courses in first aid and sanitation/hygiene procedures. She had purchased a large cottage on Fore Street near the school and renovations would begin after the first of the year. She had contacted Roger and Maureen and they were overjoyed by the prospect of moving back. There was a teaching position that would be opening at the school next year and Roger applied for it and was hired, with the income Maureen would be bringing in as Louisa's junior partner they would be quite comfortable themselves. In fact I had received a very nice letter from Roger thanking me for all I had done for Louisa and Stephan and in doing so was helping them out, too. In that letter he had said "The villagers were astounded by the stories Louisa and Stephan told them about how you came to their defense. Their attitudes about you have changed, my friend-you are now _never_ spoken of as 'that miserable sod', 'that tosser' or any of the usual epithets they tacked onto your name. They all agree with Louisa's assessment of you as her 'knight in shining armor'."

After I had finished the call things were still quiet enough for Katie and I to go to the café to have lunch and actually finish it without interruption. Quiet is a deceptive word in this instance-all the area hospital ER's were running at half capacity or greater which is 'quiet' for Christmas. As we walked back to the ER I told her "This doesn't bode well...it being this quiet around here." She asked me why I had said that and I replied "When it is quiet like this something big always happens..." As soon as those words left my mouth my pager went off, I read the message and swore. I turned to her and said "I have to run, the 'something big' has happened." I gave her a quick kiss and ran back to the ER. When I arrived I was given what details on the incident as were available and set into motion the preparations needed to handle the influx of patients. Apparently there was a caravan of two buses and 'something' happened to the driver of the second bus and it rammed the first one at high speed which then caused a multiple car pileup. The buses were full and initial estimates were six dead and over 100 injured. The buses were those double decker models they have here for long distance travel. Katie had arrived and looked up the capacity of that model of bus for me; it was 80+ passengers depending on the particular model and how they were configured. She asked what she could do to help and I told her that the best thing she could do is to help Jenna and her staff in assisting the relatives of those involved and with any children of the injured or dead that needed minding until their relatives showed up to claim them. After she left I received a call from the manager of the Life Flight helicopter service, he enquired if it would be possible if Katie could fly today for them-he was _desperately_ short of pilots, apparently many of them were down with the flu. I told him I didn't think Matsuko wouldn't clear her to fly in her condition even though Ryan had provided a letter to the FAA stating that she had recovered from her injuries and passed all the required tests-that was the _first_ thing she asked for when he signed off on her. She hadn't wanted to lose any of her certifications and licenses. He asked for Matsuko's number and I gave it to him and sent a silent prayer up that she would tell him no. I didn't need to be worried about _that_ while dealing with what was about to hit-_I had to focus_.

The first ambulances started to arrive and I started triaging patients, my initial assessment from examining these first patients was that we were all in for a _very long day_. The first ones that were brought in were the easiest to get to, they were in the process of cutting out many people from the wreckage. These first patients all were injured badly and many had burns, I could only imagine what the condition of the ones they were cutting out would be. Foghorn came over while I was triaging patients and said "Martin, we're going to need your expertise as a surgeon. I'll take over running ER operations...we're going to need more people in here just from looking at the video from the scene." I handed off triage to him and headed towards the OR's where I spent the next 16 hours operating on a seemingly endless stream of patients that required _all_ my skills in cardiovascular, cardiothoracic, trauma and general surgery. Despite my best efforts I lost two of them-one was so badly injured that I stopped the surgery shortly after we opened. We all knew from the initial examination of the internal injuries after we got her open that there would be _nothing_ any of us could do to save her so we let her go. Almost all of her major organs were severely damaged and she had a myocardial rupture. The other we thought we were going to win the battle on but he threw a clot, stroked out and died immediately.

When things had quieted down sufficiently I showered and put a fresh set of scrubs on then went back down to the ER to see how things were going down there, it was usual kind of 'busy' for the early morning hours of Christmas day. Foghorn walked over to me "Everything has quieted down; I'm handing off operations to Dr. Singh and going to get a nap in. I suggest you do the same, you're exhausted." I nodded wearily "Yes...I am. It's been a very _bad_ day. Do you know where Katie is?" He replied "She went up to your office a couple of hours ago to sleep." I wished Foghorn a nice nap and headed back to my office to take one myself. I opened the door quietly to see Katie curled up and sleeping peacefully. I closed the door, took my scrubs off and curled up next to her. As I drifted off to sleep I thought to myself "One down, one to go..."


	85. Chapter 85-Electrolux and Dyson

**_Chapter 85: Electrolux and Dyson_**

The harsh sound of the pager woke me from my sleep and I looked at my watch. I had slept for two hours, not bad all things considered. I read the message on it as I rolled out of bed and started to dress. A sleepy voice and the gentle caress of a hand on my back told me that the pager had woken Katie up, too. "Good morning, my love...how much sleep did you get?" I gave her a quick kiss "Two hours...I have to go." She sat up and gave me a quick kiss and hug "I understand...I love you! See you later..." I ran down to the ER, when I arrived the duty nurse told me "Dr. Singh is in consulting room three". I thanked him and went to join Dr. Singh. As I entered the room Arjan handed me a chart and had the scans associated with the chart up on the display. "Good morning, Martin. Sorry to have woken you but I'm going to need you on this one. Male, 68 year old patient arrived via ambulance shortly after you left presenting severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea with blood in the stool. We ran MPR-CT, MDCT and CT scans. Blood test results show elevated white cells and acid levels. This has to be one of the worst cases of Acute Mesenteric Ischemia I've seen. Patient is currently being prepped for surgery." I looked at the imagery and let out a low whistle "I can't recall seeing one this bad, either. This is going to be a rough one, Arjan. Did you call someone to take over for you here?" Arjan replied "Foghorn is coming down, should already be here or will be soon...I'm going to go inform the family of the situation and I'll meet you upstairs. This guy is pretty lucky all things considered...we're here." I said as I looked at the scans again "I give him 40% survival rate if _we're_ lucky."

I took one more look at all the test and scan results before leaving for the OR. I saw Katie over at the nurses' station talking to Foghorn, she saw me and waved me over "I _really_ have to go, sweetheart..." She smiled and handed me a Styrofoam cup and a couple of CLIF Sierra Trail Mix energy bars "I know...I made you an espresso and brought some energy bars...figured you might need them. I don't think you've had anything to eat since lunch yesterday." I took the cup and the bars and gave her a quick kiss "Thank you, sweetie! I _am_ going to need it; this is going to be a rough one." She replied "I'll be here...you better get going." She was right, I hadn't had anything to eat since lunch and was _very_ hungry. I ate the bars and washed them down with the espresso on the way to the OR, it wasn't my idea of a good breakfast but it was better than nothing and it did make me feel better. As I scrubbed I looked through the window into the operating theatre, the patient prepped, everyone and everything in place and waiting. The small voice inside my head chanted _"Respice post te! Hominem te esse memento! Memento mori!"_ while I tried to visualize what we would find based on the information we had. Hopefully we wouldn't run into a lot of dead bowel. Arjan joined me shortly after I'd arrived and he started to scrub up. We said nothing, both of us mentally preparing for the task ahead. We put masks on, stepped into the theatre and were gowned, gloved and loupes placed over our eyes. When that was done we walked over to the table and the clock started as Arjan performed a laparotomy. We evaluated the situation then started to work. I performed an embolectomy to the first jejunal branch of the superior mesenteric artery. There was stenosis in the SMA so I ran a short bypass on that then Arjan and I worked on bowel resection and vascular reconstruction.

We were about seven hours into the procedure when I heard Foghorn's voice "How y'all doing?" Arjan replied "We're on bowel resection and vascular repair. Things are going well so far." Foghorn replied "Good...Martin, Claire will take over for you. You are needed elsewhere." I kept on working but was surprised by this. What could I be needed for that was _worse_ than what I was already working on and why had he brought in Claire. She was off today, supposedly spending her first Christmas with her soon to be in-laws. Claire walked up and stood next to me "Fill me in on what's going on so I can take over." I asked while still concentrating on what I was doing "What's going on that I'm needed elsewhere and is so big that you were called in?" She replied "We're not telling until you let me take over." I filled her in on what I was doing and carefully handed things over to her then stepped back and took my gloves off. "OK...what's going on?" Foghorn laughed "You are needed for a very delicate procedure in OR4. You see, you're about to become a daddy." I stood there for a moment, shocked "_WHAT?!_ What happened ?" Foghorn replied "She's OK...she went onto labor about 90 minutes ago. We waited to tell you until Matsuko and Claire got here, you didn't need the distraction while you were up to your elbows in bowels. Now are you going to stand here and ask questions all day or what?" I ran for the door, as I opened it I heard Claire quip "Poor kids, they're going to get screwed on presents having Christmas Day as their birthday..."

My mind was a blank as I ran down the hall to OR4. When I got there I stripped off my gown, put on a new mask and scrubbed. I looked into the theatre and Matsuko and Katie both waved at me. Katie gave me a smile but her eyes told me a different story. In my mind I was running through all the complications-jaundice, wet lung, latch reflex not developed leading to poor feeding and weight loss, etc.. I had to beat all that back and try to remain positive to keep her spirits up. That look in her eyes told me that she was running through the same list I was in her mind. When I had finished scrubbing I went in and was gowned and gloved, when done I sat down beside her. I caressed her cheek "Everything will be fine, don't worry..." She gave me a smile "Sorry...I was standing there talking to Chandra and all of a sudden it was like Niagara Falls. I looked down and said 'Aw, crap!' then the first contraction hit. I'll tell you right now those aren't much fun!" Matsuko said "Now that everyone is here I'll begin..." Things progressed quickly and the nurse dropped the drape enough so she could see a little brown haired head poke up above it and started to cry quite loudly. As I cut the cord Matsuko said "It's a boy...with a pair of lungs! Time of birth 4:48pm." I took him and showed him to Katie and she cooed "You're beautiful boy and I love you so much!" I looked at him as I cradled him in my arms, his bright grey eyes blinked at me sleepily "Welcome to the world, William...I love you!" The nurse then took him to be cleaned up and examined and as she did a little blond haired head poked up above the drape, also crying loudly. Matsuko said "It's a girl...with a pair of lungs! I don't think we have any worries in that department. Time of birth 4:51pm." I cut the cord and took her in my arms. She looked at me with her mother's stunning green eyes "Hello Elizabeth! I love you..." I showed her to Katie and she cooed "I love you, sweetheart! You're a gorgeous little girl!" After they had been cleaned up, examined, footprints and photos taken we signed the birth certificates. I then brought them over and held them so Katie could kiss and touch them while Matsuko stitched her up. They were beautiful...perfect...healthy. My mind was flooded with a hurricane of emotions as they slept in my arms, I was speechless. Katie reached over and caressed me while I looked at them and I carefully leaned over and kissed her. She knows that I will either 'go clinical' or be silent when overwhelmed and whispered "Merry Christmas, sweetheart...we love you!" The nurses gave their examination reports to Matsuko as she worked. William came in at 6lb. 3oz. and Elizabeth at 6lb., both were 19 inches long. Both healthy and perfectly formed, not even a touch of jaundice which would be expected in this situation. William did have a small birth mark on his right hip, that was it. Matsuko remarked after hearing the report "Those two were ready to come out! They were out of room to grow much more, they were jam packed in there. That is a good weight and length for them. The big test comes when they're hungry, that's when we'll find out if they've developed the latching reflex." Katie replied "They're used to womb service and might decide that going to the titty bar is too much work." Everyone laughed and Matsuko said "Don't make me laugh or I'll screw up these stitches!" Katie got that mischievous look in her eye and said "Oh, god...This is all finally hitting me. I'm going to be living with _three_ creatures who are obsessed with breasts. I don't have enough to go around..." It was silent for a moment then the nurses started to laugh. I could feel may face turning colors and I started to laugh, I looked down at our two sleeping children and said "I'm willing to share. We'll take turns, OK?" Matsuko stood up, stepped back and started laughing "Stop making me laugh or I'll have you _both_ sedated!"

After Matsuko had finished stitching her up they moved us to one of the maternity suites. Matsuko and the nurses helped Katie into the abdominal support belt and adjusted it then left us. We were finally alone for a while, the twins sleeping soundly in their bassinette and we were exhausted. I curled up next to Katie on the bed and we held and caressed each other. There was no need for words-our eyes and caresses did all the talking. Soon we drifted off to sleep...sooner then we would've liked we were awoken by the sound of a crying baby. Katie said sleepily "Sounds like someone might be hungry..." I went over and picked up our son and gently handed him to her then helped her position the nursing pillow. She offered him her breast, he had no problems latching on and she made a face "Yikes! He's a little vacuum cleaner! We should've named him Electrolux..." I sat beside her and kissed and caressed both of them while he fed, after a few minutes our daughter decided that she too was hungry so I gently picked her up and helped to place her on the nursing pillow beside her brother. Katie offered her the other breast and she latched on with no problems "Yeow! If he's an Electrolux she's a Dyson!" I sat next to them all and caressed and kissed them. "I love you, sweetheart...thank you for the best Christmas gifts I've ever received! They are beautiful and so are you. With all that has gone wrong in my life I can say that I am a fortunate man." She had tears in her eyes "Martin...right now I have no words that are adequate to describe how I feel...You are a wonderful, kind, loving man with a beautiful soul who has given me these two precious, priceless gifts. I love you...I always have and I always will..." We kissed and in that kiss we both put all the love and emotion we were feeling...tears rolling down both of our cheeks and mingling together.

There was a knock at the door, we dried our tears and I got up to answer it. It was Matsuko accompanied by a couple of nurses "Just came to see how things are going." I let them in and Matsuko smiled "I see they have discovered the wonders of the titty bar! Any problems with latching on?" I smiled "None. My beautiful wife has compared them to vacuum cleaners." Katie giggled "On the left is Electrolux and on the right is Dyson...Is it too late to change their names?" I shot her a look and Matsuko and the nurses laughed. Matsuko said "I need to examine you to make sure everything is OK before I go home. Ryan and our mothers have dinner almost ready and everyone is waiting for me." I replied "While she's examining you I'll run over to the office and get our things and the bag we'd packed for this." Katie smiled "Sounds like a plan! It's lucky we drove the wagon here instead of the Bentley. It has the car seats in it already." I gave her a quick kiss and walked over to my office, along the way I was stopped by people offering their congratulations. When I returned they were gone Katie and the twins were sleeping. I gently caressed my children's heads, they were snuggled up to one another and looked so beautiful that I took out my phone and snapped a few pictures. I walked over to Katie and gently kissed her on the forehead. Exhausted but too keyed up to sleep I sat on the sofa, pulled out my laptop and composed a birth announcement email to send out to our family and friends. It was before dawn in the UK and didn't want to call people and wake them up and over here most people were going to bed. I pasted the photo I had just taken of them on the email and put their names and stats on them to identify which one it was and thought about what to say.

_The Wise Men brought three precious gifts...we received two on this Christmas Day._

_Katie and I are pleased to announce the birth of our son and daughter._

* * *

_William Martin Ellingham: 4:48pm CST-6lb. 3oz., 19" long. _

_Elizabeth Jasmine Ellingham: 4:51pm CST-6lb., 19" long._

_Born at Methodist Hospital-Texas Medical Center _

_Houston, Texas_

I'm not good at writing things like this so I stared at it and thought before sending it. I was starting to fall asleep and decided it was good enough for right now, we'd be sending out formal ones anyway. I put the email addresses for the people I was going to send it to on it. As I went through my address book I thought very long and hard about two email addresses and debated whether or not I should send it to them. Those email addresses were my parents. Ruth had given them to me but I had never sent them anything. I hadn't seen or talked to either one of them in years. As far as I knew they still thought I lived in Cornwall and had no knowledge that I had moved to America and had gotten married again. I wished I could ask Katie about this but she was sleeping so I thought about what she would tell me if I could ask her. She probably would say "Send it to them. All you are doing is informing them of the birth of our children, nothing more. They probably won't reply to it, anyway. It would be the right thing to do even though you, quite understandably, can't tolerate either one of them." I added their email addresses to it and sent it off. After I did so I took a shower, crawled into bed next to Katie and gently cuddled up to her and fell asleep.


	86. Chapter 86-Pity

**_Chapter 86: Pity_**

**_"_****_I'm _****_deaf!_****_"_**

My eyes blearily opened and I could see Katie was up. She was coming back from the bathroom being assisted by one of the nurses. I could see their mouths moving but couldn't hear them. I sat up with a start, my heart pounding in my chest. Katie smiled and walked gingerly towards me, kissed me and pulled an ear plug out of my ear "Good morning, babycakes! You needed the sleep so I dug a pair of ear plugs out of my purse and stuck them in your ears. Thank god you sleep like a rock!" My heart quieted down as I took the other one out of my ear and I laughed "I thought I'd gone deaf! Then I thought I was going to have a heart attack." The nurse smiled "I'll leave you two in peace." we thanked her and she left. I gently pulled Katie down on the bed next to me and kissed her "You crazy woman! I love you!" she smiled "I am that...I'm crazy about you! You want something to eat, hun?" I looked at the time, it was almost noon-I'd slept for almost twelve hours! "Yes, I'm _starving_..." She got up to fetch the room service menu "This abdominal band rocks! I've been walking around as much as I can this morning...it hurts but I need to do it."

We ordered lunch then went over to look at the twins, they were sleeping peacefully in their bassinette. We put our arms around each other and I kissed her "They're beautiful...You make good babies!" She giggled "Quality of ingredients, half of which **_you_** contributed...and they _are_ good babies. Neither one of them is fussy and they've only cried when they're hungry, need their nappies changed or just wanted a cuddle. Your children are _disgusting_ by the way; you should've _seen_ what was in their nappies this morning! _The horror...the horror..."_ Our lunch arrived and we sat down to eat, while we did so she filled me in on the events of the day so far. "Matsuko stopped by a couple of hours ago to see how we were doing-everyone and everything is fine. She said we could probably go home tomorrow. I've fed them four or five times while you slept, I lost count-if they're hungry, I feed them. I fed them right before you woke up so they should be good for a couple of hours. The nurses helped me with the feedings and nappy changes. Don stopped by to see how we were doing; he'll be back later but did say that you are officially on family leave as of today. I called John, Karen and Pat and told them the news and we talked for a while. Louisa also called briefly to ask if I could get on Skype, I did and we talked for a bit, too. James was on with her and I told them that you were sleeping and _needed_ to sleep-you'd had a rough couple of days with little sleep. They told me to have you call them when you got up." She put half her salmon on my plate "Here, hun...I had a big breakfast a couple of hours ago and don't think I can finish all of this." I knew she was telling me a little white lie. She knew that all I had eaten since Christmas Eve lunch was two energy bars, a couple cups of coffee and water. She wanted to make sure I ate well so ordered more then she could eat. I didn't argue...I was _very hungry_ and it made her feel better. After lunch she started to get sleepy so she went back to bed and slept. While she did both the babies woke at different times wanting to be changed or just wanting to be held. When I would hold them I would take off my shirt, skin to skin contact is very comforting to them and as I held them I gently massaged their arms, legs, hands and feet. I observed the physical characteristics they had. William has Katie's hair but my eye color and shape...poor kid also inherited my ears. Oh, well...we can have those pinned back when he gets older. Elizabeth has my hair but her mother's eye color and shape. Both of them had her feet complete with the second toe being slightly longer then the big toe. With some of the other traits it was hard to tell. Katie and I have similar skin coloration, hands and noses-her nose is a bit narrower than mine, though. It is hard to tell what kind of hair they will have. My hair, if left to its own devices, is wavy and unruly. Katie's hair, if left to its own devices, is a mass of loose ringlets. I thought about that dream I had a couple of months ago, if that is what Elizabeth will look like as an adult _I'm in real trouble_. She was gorgeous in that dream! With boys all you have to do is worry about one penis, with girls you have to worry about billions of them and I have a feeling that in about 12 years being worried about what she's up to will be a _constant_ preoccupation of mine.

They were all sleeping so I fired up the laptop and checked my email. To my surprise I received one from my father. I dreaded opening it. I sat there and looked at it for a long time steeling myself for what it might say. When I felt ready I opened it.

_Dear Martin,_

_We want to wish you our heartfelt congratulations on the birth of your children! They are two beautiful little ones and you must be very happy and proud. We had no idea that you had moved away from Port Wenn and had gotten married. I rang Ruth to find out what was going on after we received the email and she told us that you are doing quite well and are now working in Houston as the head of CVT surgery at Methodist Hospital and doing research at DeBakey. We asked her about your new wife and found out that she is a bush pilot from the wilds of Alaska! She is __very__ impressed by her and likes her. She also said that Katie is the best thing that has ever happened to you, which is saying something coming from Ruth as you well know. Perhaps someday we will be able to meet her, she sounds like a very dynamic and intriguing woman._

_I asked her if she thought you would be upset if we replied to your email. She told me to reply saying "You will find that your son is a very different man now. Hopefully you are, too." She said a great many other things some that were very ugly and unpleasant to hear but they are the __**truth**__. I know you will never be able to forgive or forget what I have done to you, quite frankly I can't forgive myself. Ruth is right; I was a terrible monster to you. We both were. I wish I could take it all back but I can't. In retrospect we should've let Joan have you when she asked to adopt you; the burdens you have had to bear through your life would be greatly lessened. We were arrogant, greedy and selfish-both to her and to you._

_Just so you know your mother and I are back together, that Portuguese boyfriend of hers left when the money ran out. I am working again. I recertified as a GP and am working in Bowness-on-Windermere up in the Lake District. It's beautiful here. We have a flat in town with nice views of The Glebe and Belle Isle. We have found peace in our lives and it seems that you have too and for that I am truly glad. _

_We will understand __completely__ if you do not reply to this email and want nothing to do with us. We do want you to know that we are __**very proud**__ of you and what you have become despite all. We are overjoyed that you have made us grandparents even though we may never see or meet our grandchildren. We wish you and your family all the best life has to offer. You are a better surgeon, a better doctor, a better man and a better father than I ever was or will be._

_Christopher and Margaret_

I sat there and thought after I read it and realized something while doing so. I didn't feel the raging anger and pain that usually accompanied any contact with my parents. I felt pity. _I pitied them!_ That was a new sensation! I _have_ changed...

The timestamp on Ruth's email was about an hour before my parents.

_Dear Martin,_

_Congratulations! Those two are beautiful and I can see both of you in them. Don called me last night (London time) and told me that all went well. He said that you were in surgery when she went into labor and they had to call in Dr. Smith to take over so you could attend the birth. Ring me when you have a chance and we'll talk. I'll be over next month and will see all of you then._

_Your father contacted me this morning. I saw you had sent them a copy of the birth announcement email and was not surprised that he did call me. I __was__ surprised that you actually sent them a copy of it! He wanted to know if I thought it would alright if he replied to it, he didn't want to upset you at this time. He is a changed and broken man, losing everything and having to start over from scratch will do that to people. It forces them to review and attempt to atone for the mistakes they've made in their lives. I know he has wanted to contact you for quite some time to try to make amends and I told him not to. You had no desire to hear anything out of either one of them and it was best to just leave you alone. All any contact with you would accomplish would be to force you to relive your childhood again which would cause you even more pain and anguish. _

_Perhaps you are ready to do so now. It appears that you have conquered your demons and it would be the final step in healing those old wounds for you. _

_I did tell him to reply to your email but it was up to __you__ if you wanted further contact. I also told him not to be surprised if he heard nothing further from you. _

_Looking forward to hearing from you and give my love to Katie and the twins._

_Ruth_

I sat and thought about it for some time then I opened a new email message form and began to write...


	87. Chapter 87:Dear Christopher and Margaret

**_Chapter 87: Dear Christopher and Margaret_**

_Dear Christopher and Margaret,_

_In the short span of William and Elizabeth's lives I have held, kissed and cuddled them more then you two ever did with me. I love them with my heart and soul and I would eviscerate myself with a blunted, rusty scalpel if I thought I would do __anything__ even remotely like the kinds of things you two did to me. I still cannot understand how anyone could be as cruel and heartless to their own child as you two were. Don't give me the usual bollocks of 'the times were different then' or any of the rest of the flimsy excuses. What you two did was pure child abuse and I have paid dearly for it-it has affected every aspect of my life for almost all of my life. You two crippled me emotionally and psychologically and left me barely functional as a human being. Only over the past year have I been able to slay or chain the demons your actions and deeds created inside my mind and finally found peace._

_In a strange way you did provide an excellent example of fatherhood...How NOT to be one! I don't know if you are aware of it but you have another grandson. His name is James. From the moment I found out Louisa (my ex-wife) was pregnant with him I was so __scared__ that I would be like you with him. That fear affected how I acted with him during the first two years of his life. I was afraid to hold him, to hug him, to play with him. The emotional and psychological baggage you two left me with made me incapable of expressing my hesitancy with him to Louisa which was, in part, why our marriage broke down. Despite our marriage breaking down Louisa helped me become a good father and to this day I still thank her for it. I can now finally say that I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU! James is a stamped out miniature of me physically but in every other way he is a total opposite-the __only__ reason he is that way is because of his parents. We both wanted him, unlike my mother who told me to my face that she never wanted me. We both love him which is something neither one of you did with me. You pushed me away, locked me up and as soon as you could abandoned me at boarding school so you could party with your friends. We both defend and protect him-you two threw me to the wolves to fend for myself._

_Ruth is right; Katie is a dynamic and intriguing woman and much, __much__ more. The term 'soul mate' is something that is bandied around a lot but in our case it is true. We share a bond that goes beyond friendship, beyond love and it grows stronger each and every day. There are simply no words to describe it adequately. She taught me how to slay and chain my childhood demons and helped me do it. She has, with the gentlest of hands, healed my psyche and soul and helped me become the person I __should've__ been my entire life. _

_She taught me how to let go of the anger and forgive...and that is where we are at right now._

_I forgive you._

_I forgive you but I will __never__ be able to forget. It is impossible to forget such traumas. They may fade over time but will never truly go away._

_I did appreciate what you said in your email and perhaps we can proceed forward positively from here. We have both taken the first step in a very delicate dance. How it will end no one knows but I am willing to try. _

_The next move is yours._

_Dr. Martin C. Ellingham MD, MCh, M.B.E., FRCS, FACS, FAAST, FACC, FRCGP_


	88. Chapter 88: We're Being Paged

**_Chapter 88: We're Being Paged_**

By the end of the second day we were home we had settled into a routine and it was actually working well. It was quite helpful that the twins were on the same schedule-they wanted to be fed at the same time and that, so far, had not diverged. In fact they tended to do everything at approximately the same time-wake up, sleep, need changing, etc. Katie is their only nutritional provider at the moment so I either sit next to her or behind her and she'd lean on me while she nursed them and we'd hold and caress them while they fed. After they were done we'd take turns winding them and cuddling them until they were ready to go back into the basinet. In about a month, after her milk production reaches full capacity, she'll start expressing milk and I'll feed one while she feeds the other. It will give me a chance to bond with them further and get them used to a bottle.

Katie had come up with an idea before they were born that, at first, I thought was rather strange but it turned out to be a very good idea indeed. She reminded me that birth and for the first months a babies most developed sense is smell so she bought a couple dozen 3XL soft cotton t-shirts. What we would do is wear the shirts for half an hour or so while we relaxed and they slept then switch off-I'd wear the shirt she had worn and she'd wear the one I had. (Keeping the shirts clean in all other aspects, of course.) We'd then use them to swaddle the twins when we'd put them to bed. She said when she told me of this idea "That way they will smell us and think we're nearby-it will comfort them and help them sleep better and longer. Swaddling them will comfort them, too. They're used to being somewhat confined from being inside me. Being next to each other will help them, too. They will sense and smell their sibling's presence. If it works it will give us a chance to get up and do things or just take a break. If it doesn't work we haven't spent much and can use the shirts to wear when we're painting a room or something." She also had placed her Kindle next to their bassinet in our bedroom and used the 'white noise' program on it to generate the sound of a gentle rain. Both of these ideas of hers combined with the fact that they have seemed to inherit both their parents' ability to sleep like a rock was proving quite beneficial. They would quickly go to sleep and once they had they stayed that way. This was quite different then my previous experience of living with a newborn, poor James cried all the time and had such a hard time going to sleep.

During one of their naps Katie made us lunch and I called Ruth. After I had sent that email to my parents they had called her to discuss it and from what she said they had spent a couple hours on the phone. She had sent me an email about it and requested me to call her the first opportunity I had where I could talk for more than a few minutes. I hit her number in my address book and she soon answered. "Good afternoon, Martin. How are things on the baby front?" I replied "Going quite well so far. They're sleeping at the moment and Katie's making us lunch. What's going on?" She said with a slight chuckle "I hadn't planned on spending most of Boxing Day playing psychologist on the phone with your parents but that email of yours stirred up quite the storm. I hope you are sitting comfortably because I have a lot to tell. You might wish to have Katie join in on this discussion, too. It will affect both of you." I picked up Katie's earpiece and walked towards the kitchen "One moment while I give Katie her earpiece and set this up as a conference call." She was just finishing preparing lunch and she put her earpiece on while I carried our plates to the table. I hit the conference function and Katie said "Hello, Ruth! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!" Ruth said dryly "Hello, Katie! I hope you are feeling better today. From what Martin has told me it sounds like things are going well so far. The reason why I asked you to join us on this call is that it may affect your family. Did Martin show you the email exchange between him and his parents?" Katie gave me a worried look "Yes, he did." "Good, because we all need to talk about it."

We could hear her take a drink and sigh "I know that Katie knows most of the story on Martin and his parent's so there is no need to rehash that. What you know nothing of and Martin only knows from the bit I put in my email is what has been going on with his parents since the last time he communicated with them. About four years ago Christopher and Margaret showed up on my doorstep. They had moved back to the UK from Portugal and were flat broke, they were also two very broken individuals. They had not come seeking money or a place to stay which was my first thought, they had come to apologize to me for the way they have treated me over the years. This so shocked and intrigued me that I invited them to stay for dinner and we spent many hours discussing what had happened to them that finally made them 'see the light'. I will not go into that in detail here but suffice it to say they had a very difficult time not only financially but personally and psychologically. As I stated in my email when a person hits rock bottom it forces them to review all that has gone wrong in their lives and attempt to atone for the mistakes they've made. Surprisingly, they had finally realized just how terribly they had treated you and wanted to make amends but didn't know how so they had come to seek my advice. I've known my brother for all of his life and Margaret for as long as they have been married and for the first time I have known either of them they were actually quite sincere and wanted to make amends if possible. I told them to leave you alone, the damage they did was too great and you had, at the time, not recovered from it. I also told them that I suspected that you would never get over it. They were both quite sad and upset but accepted my advice; the only thing they asked was to know how you were. At the time they came to visit me you and Louisa had just gotten divorced. I knew that you would not want them to know you had gotten married and knew you would _definitely_ not want them to know about James so all I told them was that you were well and still living in Port Wenn."

"After that first encounter we kept in touch. Over the years since that day they have come down to London to visit me and I have gone to visit them. They both have changed for the better. Christopher worked very hard to get certified as a GP and has become quite a good one. Both of them have stopped drinking, are quite active in village life and they do a lot of volunteer work. The most surprising thing for me is that they have actually become very good and pleasant people to be around. The arrogance and selfishness is gone and they are rather humble people who live quietly. Your father has worked very hard to make amends with me, to build a bridge to me and to prove that he is a changed man, so has your mother. I have forgiven both of them and we're actually good friends now. The only 'problem' that remains is that your father is still a 'golf junkie' but in the greater scheme of things I can accept that. I _despise_ golf..."

I was shocked by this news and had a hard time believing it. Katie put her arm around me, kissed me and said "I am guessing that you asked me to join in on this conversation not only to know what is going on but to express an opinion if I had one. Now...I may not be a psychologist but I think some form of reconciliation would help _all of you_ to finally bury the past and it _needs_ burying. If it doesn't work that too will bury it, all of you can say you tried but the differences were too great and can walk away knowing that you did what you could. I am willing to assist in any way I can. Of course it is all up to Martin, he is the one who is the most affected by this." She cupped my cheek and looked into my eyes "I am here to love, understand and support you in whatever you decide is the best course of action, sweetheart." When I could finally speak I said "As I told Christopher in my email we have both taken the first step, then next move is his. What do you suggest?"

"You were right in what you said in your email, Martin. It is a very delicate dance. What you three need is to sit down and talk face to face. Let me think for a moment on how to arrange this. I do think that both Katie and I must be present at any meeting, me as an arbiter and her as your main support and defender. I will be lending support to you, too, but in this case my skills and knowledge of both the psychology involved and of the family situation as a whole would be best used as a mediator...I do think that any meeting should either take place in 'neutral territory' or on your turf where you would be the most comfortable and would have the support of your wife. She can't travel at the moment and it would be difficult to do so with two infants even if she could." She went silent for a moment then said "As you know I am coming over at the end of February to visit you four and Don. I'll have to talk to Don but what we could do is have them come along with me. If Don agrees they can stay with us at his home, at least initially. If all goes well you might wish to invite them to stay at yours. If not Don and I will entertain them until it is time for us to leave. We're going to Mardi Gras and Don wants to take me to a couple of parties during the Rodeo so there would be no lack of things to keep them occupied." Katie laughed "New Orleans or Galveston Mardi Gras?" Ruth said with a chuckle "Galveston though I suspect that the New Orleans one would be more interesting from a psychological study standpoint. I could probably write a paper on that one..." Katie laughed so hard she had tears in her eyes "Ow...it hurts to laugh...You'd probably end up studying the psychology of a drunken Don with a pair of panties on his head if you went to New Orleans! I've been to both the Rio and New Orleans Carnivals and the New Orleans one can make Rio look like a church social at times." I could tell by the tone of Ruth's voice that the mental picture Katie had painted amused her "Vicarious entertainment at its finest..." Katie giggled "I _LIKE_ you, Ruth! You have a taste for the finer things in life!" Ruth turned serious and said "Well, Martin...it's up to you. What do you think?" I thought about it for a minute of two then said "If they and Don are agreeable to it I have no problems with it." Ruth replied "Good. I will talk to all parties involved and see if it can be arranged. Well, I better let you two go so you can have a bit of peace and quiet before the twins next feed. I will call you as soon as I know what is going on. Give my love to William and Elizabeth, I am looking forward to seeing them." We all said goodbye to each other and I terminated the call. I looked at Katie and said "Am I doing the right thing?" She hugged me "I have to agree with what Ruth said in her email, it will be the final step in healing the wounds and burying that part of your past for good. Of course I will support you in whatever you decide, if you decide later on that you don't want to go through it that will be fine with me and we'll say no more about it..." Just as she said that the sound of the cries of a very hungry baby floated out of the baby monitor. I kissed her, stood up and took her hand then said with a smile "Come on, sweetie...I think we're being paged."


	89. Chapter 89: Bert Large Was Right

**_Chapter 89: Bert Large Was Right..._**

Peter and I had spent the day in the lab setting up for the second part of phase one of my project. Everything was going smoothly and ahead of schedule. In fact we've made a couple of breakthroughs that, if the current results hold up over the long term, one of which will prove quite beneficial for a variety of medical disciplines-especially orthopedics. Another, if the results hold up, will have an impact on the treatment of cancer and other tumors by capturing their cells circulating in the blood stream. This was not what either one had been designed for originally; we had discovered their capabilities quite by accident. We've patented both of them. I had insisted on placing Peter's name on the patents along with mine, he _deserved_ it. He has worked very hard and has proven to be _more_ than helpful-he has an almost 'Mozart' like grasp of the technology involved. As I watch Peter work I thought to myself that I had been quite right in my estimation of his capabilities when he was a young boy. He was now playing in a 'playground' he enjoyed being at and was excelling at all the activities it offered. I looked at the time and said "Peter, it's almost 5pm." He looked up at the clock and smiled "Time flies when you're having fun! I'd better run, Minh and I are going to a concert tonight and I have to get over to her home to pick her up by 6. I hope traffic isn't too bad...We're going out afterwards so we'll be home late." I replied "No problems...enjoy yourselves and I guess we'll see you two tomorrow morning." He grabbed his backpack "We will! See you in the morning!" After he left I sat there for a moment and wondered how long it would be before we would see a ring on Minh's hand one morning at breakfast. Since they had come back from Christmas break in the UK they had been inseparable. Minh still lived with her parents so she was spending more time at our house, probably because it would be rather awkward for her parents to deal with seeing him coming out of her bedroom in the morning. Having a daughter now I _fully_ sympathized with them...I know it'd be hard for me to see that.

I walked into the house and stopped for a moment to take in the sight and smells of it. The house was clean, everything in its place. The glow of the coming sunset filled the house with a golden light and the new leaves on the trees glowed a vivid green through the window wall. The doors to the back garden were open, the tinkling sound from the waterfall and the smell of the newly blooming flowers flowed in on the pleasant breeze. Katie was making dinner in the kitchen, it smelled delicious. I don't know how she did it but there was very little 'baby smell' in the house-that 'lovely' combination of regurgitated breast milk and soiled nappies. Perhaps it's because this house is huge compared to my old surgery in Port Wenn and has an excellent air filtration system. The twins were in their bassinet near the kitchen and I could hear them gurgling and cooing contentedly to each other. Katie had noticed that I had come home and walked over towards me, I watched her with appreciation and appetite as she did so. She was rapidly losing the baby weight and had been exercising to get back into shape. She was almost back to the way she had been before the twins though, much to her dismay, her hips were a bit wider. This did not upset me _in the least_; it enhanced her figure in my eyes. It _did_ upset her because her favorite jeans and her skinsuit were a bit tight in that area now though I thought they looked _damned good_ on her. When she arrived we embraced and kissed. When we finally parted I asked "How'd the checkup go?" She smiled "They're fine...I'm fine... _and you'll be just fine later on tonight_._"_ I smiled at that bit of news, it meant that Matsuko had cleared her to have sexual relations again. I wanted to sweep her up into my arms and carry her off to the bedroom immediately but told myself to wait. I had _something very special_ planned for her when we could finally make love again. I pulled her close and kissed her passionately and whispered "You'll be feeling _just fine_, too!" She giggled "I'm looking forward to it!" The glint in her eye told me that she had _something very special _planned, too. I smiled "I'm going to change before I go to see the twins, the last thing I need is another drool covered tie." "Good idea, that tie would be a hard one to get drool stains out of."

I showered and changed into jeans and a cotton shirt then went downstairs to see the twins. As I leaned over the bassinet and greeted them they smiled and started to wave their arms and legs excitedly. Katie had walked over and put her arm around me "They missed their daddy today! Why don't you three discuss the events of your day while I finish making dinner." I sat down and told them about my day while we played, their gurgles and smiles told me they had a busy day of sleeping, eating, playing and going for a stroller ride in park. I gave each one of them a kiss and went to help Katie with dinner. As we worked Katie said "Oh, John called me today. He said that the Otter is done and it turned out great. He knows I can't come pick it up so he's going to try to fly it down here in a couple of weeks. Poor guy, it's hard to live based on someone else's schedule. I told him I know that one...right now I'm living based on someone else's schedule of sleeping, crying, cuddles, playing, being a titty bar and the ever popular 'three 'P''s'. I asked him if he has any plane repositions going on in August and so far he has to move the 767 to Tahiti so I asked him if we could hitch a ride if possible. He said he had no problems with it-it depends on whether or not he had pax." I replied "That would be great if we could, it'd be more comfortable for the twins and for us, too. I have to ask you a question..." She looked at me and smiled "Ask away!" I sighed "Are you happy? I worry that you might feel that being a stay at home mother is confining, you are so used to being free and flying around the world..." She put her arm around me and kissed my cheek "I know you _always_ worry about that. Yes, I'm very happy! _I love you _and I'm right where I want to be which is with you and our children. I have _nothing_ left to prove as a pilot and flying around the world endlessly is a dangerous and lonely business that loses its charms after a while. Right now _all I have to_ _prove_ is that I can be the best mom to our children which is a difficult and rewarding task. Once the Otter gets here if I get a hankerin' to do some flying I'll just take her up for a joy ride. So stop worrying, my love..." I hugged her and gave her a kiss "I love you...and you know I won't." She smiled "I know...and I love you for it. Anyway, I have a plan...If we can hitch a ride what we can do is have the Melbury's fly here, then we hop on the 767 and head for Christchurch. Be easier on all of us."

After I had come home from Britain last October I had told Katie what Stephan, Louisa and I had discussed. She thought it was a great idea but said that it'd be too difficult and dangerous to attempt sailing there with them aboard. She said "Having them stay on the boat when we get there is no problem-as you pointed out we don't spend much time on it when we're there, anyway. But sailing there with that many people on board would be problematic. We would have to obtain extra rafts, dry suits, and other emergency equipment. With that many people and the extra baggage, equipment, cargo, etc. we'd be pushing the weight limit for the boat. And, despite what the children say, they will probably get bored out of their gourds by the third day. It will be crowded and they wouldn't be able to go up on deck. Besides, we don't know if they could handle it, one or more of them might become very sea sick. What we can do is take them out for a day of sailing when we get there, that way we'll see what kind of sailors they are." We had a Skype conference call with them and the new plan was to have them fly down to Christchurch with us, come out to Akaroa for a day then we'd leave on the boat and they'd spend a couple days getting used to the time change and exploring New Zealand then fly to Aitutaki where we'd pick them up at the airport.

All that would change in a year if we wanted to do that again. Jimmy had done such a good job with my investments that I decided to 'splurge' on Katie's Christmas gift. I put it in a big box and carefully wrapped it. When we got home from the hospital we exchanged Christmas gifts. She had given me a Kusuri Dansu from the Edo period to add to my collection of Asian medical chests. She had also commissioned one of best Kimono makers in Tokyo to make me a silk Juban with a carp jumping up a waterfall created with the Shibori dying technique, all done in muted blues and greys. It was exquisite, fit me perfectly and is exceptionally comfortable. When I brought out the box for her she unwrapped it and started laughing "Oh, my god! You got me a vacuum cleaner! Gee, thanks..._how traditional._" I laughed "Just open the box..." She did and started pulling out the wads of paper I'd stuffed in it to find the manila envelope and small box that contained her gift. "_Oooh_...you got me a manila envelope and a box..." I said "Open the envelope first." She opened it and her eyes bugged out and her jaw dropped. She looked at me with a huge grin "Oh, no you _didn't_..." I kissed her "Oh, yes I _did_..." The manila envelope contained the layout and specs for the Alibi 65 I'd commissioned to be built a couple months before. I had contacted the owner of the ship yard and asked if it could be built with the same kinds of extras she had put on the 'Isilme', he said it could and made a few suggestions on improvements on those using technology and materials that were unavailable when she had the 'Islime' built and I had those added. As she read the specs and looked at the layout for the interior her grin widened "We could sail the Scotia Sea in style in this if we wanted to. It's built to handle it. Plenty of room for the kids and guests...a shallower draft than the 'Islime'...despite the extra length and width it'd be _easier_ to get into the lagoon...carbon fiber mast...3DL sails..." I smiled and said "You like?" She gave me a kiss and smiled "I like!" I said "All you have to do is pick out the materials and equipment to be used to fit out the interior. The box contains fabric, flooring and working surface samples."

After we'd finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen it was time for the twin's dinner so we fed, winded and changed them then cuddled them until they were ready to sleep again. While they napped we sat outside in the fading glow of the sunset. Katie asked "Are you ready for tomorrow?" I sighed "About as ready as I can be. It'll be difficult but, you know, I feel surprisingly tranquil about it. None of the things I thought would be overwhelming me now are there-no anger, no pain, no fear, no endless replays of the 'highlight' reel of my childhood in my mind. About the only things I'm feeling are sadness and pity. I actually feel sorry for them in a way. I look at those two babies sleeping in there and think of how much I love them and want to protect them-I can't imagine how anyone can _not_ want to do that when they have children. I don't understand that mindset, it boggles me. How and _why_ did they treat their own child the way they did? That, more than anything, is what I want to find out from them." She snuggled closer to me "I don't think they truly know why deep down inside. Maybe they're trying to figure it out themselves. If what Ruth has told us is what is truly going on with them I think that for the first time in their lives they are actually dealing with 'reality'. They lived in an artificial 'world' most of their lives. That world has shattered and they are realizing just how awful they have been to everyone around them, especially the people who should count the most-their family and their child. I never met your Aunt Joan but from what I've heard about her she would have many choice words for both of them." I chuckled "Oh, Auntie Joan would eviscerate them...If she even bothered to talk to them. There would definitely be no love lost there. She would hang the phone up on them if they called or run them off her farm if they showed up there again."

The sounds from the baby monitor told us that our two children were ready for their last feed of the day to be followed by their bedtime ritual of bath, lullaby and sleep. I quietly stepped out as she sang to them in their cot; I had to finish the preparations I'd made earlier for the rest of the evening. It'd been a very _long_ five months and I wanted the night to be special for her...for us. It would be a night of rediscovery...and pleasure. I'd closed the bedroom door while I changed into my Juban and finished everything then waited for her. I heard her go downstairs to close the house up for the night, some minutes later I heard her put something in the laundry room then walk towards the bedroom. The door opened and I stood up, she had showered and changed out of her clothes too, all she was wearing her silk Kimono...and her special perfume. I walked towards her and quietly shut the door then said to her "Tonight is for _your_ relaxation and pleasure; all you have to do is say nothing and just _breathe_..." She smiled as she started to gently caress me, the feel of her fingers through the silk was heavenly "That's my line...How about tonight is for _our_ pleasure and relaxation...all we have to do is say nothing and just _breathe_..." I did _breathe_…I started to gently caress her through the silk and she _breathed_… Bert Large was right, sometimes it's best to throw out your plans and just _go with the flow_…

* * *

Much later that night as Peter and Minh were going upstairs to his flat the sounds of the whirlpool tub running, splashing, giggling and laughter could be heard down the hallway from the second floor landing. Minh stopped and smiled "Sounds like they're having a really _good_ time!" Peter smiled as he took her hand and started up the stairs "Yup! _Good for them!"_


	90. Chapter 90: Back in the Saddle Again

**_Chapter 90: Back in the Saddle Again..._**

Usually I just wake up, this morning I drifted into consciousness like a leaf floating down a lazy river. I lay their peacefully with my eyes closed enjoying what my senses of hearing, touch and smell were telling me. My hearing told me it was a spring morning-the birds were calling for mates and my old friend the Dove was back at his nesting spot. It was the same Dove, I recognized his call. This morning it didn't bring up thoughts of recipes, it made me smile and I wished him luck in finding a lady Dove. I heard the 'plop' of one of the Koi in the pond as it jumped into the air and fell back into the water and the tinkling of the waterfall in the pool. In the distance I could hear soft music and talking. I recognized the music as Ramsey Lewis's version of Poco Allegretto from Symphony #3 In F Major by Brahms. I couldn't hear what they were saying clearly but I recognized the voices as those of Peter, Minh and Katie's. I'd recognize that laugh of Katie's a mile away. A cool, soft breeze wafted in from the windows and the door to the balcony. It felt nice on my skin, so did the soft sheets and blanket. There was a riot of scents in the air-the flowers in the garden, the pleasant forest meadow scent of linen spray on the bedding, cinnamon and nutmeg from the kitchen, the hinoki and ginger from our bath last night along with the jasmine, orange, Katie's perfume and the mixture of our pheromones from our night of rediscovery and passion. I wished she was still in bed with me, we'd add a little more to the mix. I finally opened my eyes and softly laughed to myself, if the smell didn't immediately give a person a clue as to what transpired in here last night their sense of sight surely would.

I rolled out of bed, stretched then set about stripping the sheets off the bed and putting new ones on then cleaned up the rest of the room. That done I went to take a shower and perform my morning hygiene routine. Katie had already cleaned the bathroom and fresh, fluffy towels were on the towel warmer. As I shaved I thought about what would be happening later in the day. Aunt Ruth and my parents had arrived last night and were staying with Don at his house. He had told me that he planned on taking them out for dinner then spending the rest of the evening relaxing until the jet lag caught up with them. It felt strange to know that they were less than a mile away. I looked in the mirror and asked myself how I truly felt about them. I stood there for some time waiting for the answer. It was one that I hadn't expected...I felt _nothing_-no anger, no pain, no rage, no fear. It was like they were someone else's parents that I would be meeting. I asked myself how and why this could be, for so long I the mere thought of my parents brought about an almost Pavlovian reaction of anger, rage, pain and fear in my mind. The answer came back in the form of Katie's soft voice whispering "They can't hurt you anymore, I won't let them." She was right, they can't hurt me anymore. The chain of action and reaction is broken. _I'm finally free_. I chuckled at my reflection and said "It's about time! It only took you fifty some odd years to do it." I smiled and added "And one warrior queen of a woman..." I wondered if she understood what she had done for me and the reply was "She Knows..."

As I walked towards the kitchen I could hear the twins giggling and saw Peter and Minh playing peek-a-boo with them. Katie was moving about the kitchen and the smell told me that the breakfast of the day was 'ze toast ov luv'. An appropriate dish for how I felt. Peter and Minh greeted me as I approached "'Mornin', Martin! Sleep well?" The slight smirks on their faces told me they _knew_ what had gone on last night. I didn't think we had been_ that_ noisy...oh, well... I smiled and said "Good morning and yes I did sleep quite well." The twins heard my voice and started giggling and babbling and as I leaned over the bassinet they greeted me with big, gummy smiles, their arms and legs moving excitedly. I picked them up and gave them kisses and cuddles, as I did so Katie walked over from the kitchen and we kissed "Good Morning, my love! Hope you're in the mood for 'ze toast ov luv', Peter and Minh wanted some and it sounded good to me, too. If you want something else I'll make it for you." I replied "Sounds good! When did you get up?" She smiled "Oh, I got up around four to feed and change them then went back to sleep for an hour or so. Then I got up and did a bit of cleaning and showered before they wanted breakfast and their nappies changed." I laid the twins back down in the bassinet and hugged her "You should've woken me up to help." She smiled "You needed the sleep. This was your first week back at work and it was a long one for you, even though you have today off. Anyway...come and sit down, breakfast is ready." As we ate we went over our plans for the day. Peter and Minh had to be on campus by 11am to board the band bus, they were going to New Orleans to march in a couple Mardi Gras parades and would be gone until Wednesday. We had to prepare for tonight. Katie would be would be making dinner; my task would be to take care of the twins while she did so. There really wasn't much left to do in the way of other preparations-the house was clean, just needed some very minor tidying up. There was some laundry to do but all the major stuff had already been done.

After breakfast we all helped Katie clean up then Peter and Minh left for school. Once they had left I swept Katie up in my arms and we kissed a very deep and passionate kiss. It was broken by the hungry cry of Elizabeth "Sounds like someone's hungry, her brother will be joining in soon for a duet. I should call myself 'Canada' because those two damned near drank me dry this morning!" I looked at her somewhat puzzled and she kissed me and laughed "Old joke...'I saw a sign that said 'Drink Canada Dry', so I did.' Canada Dry is a brand of ginger ale." We took them upstairs and we fed them, changed their nappies and cuddled them until they went to sleep. We laid them down in their cot and Katie kissed me and started unbuttoning my shirt "Fancy a quickie now that everyone is either asleep or on their way to New Orleans?" I expressed my wholehearted approval of the idea by picking her up and carrying her next door to our room, as I did so she giggled and gave me a reminder that men have nipples too. I set her down and shut the door, we smiled at each other for a moment then embraced with an intense and almost animalistic passion, clothes being torn off and flying everywhere. Our hands and lips ran hungrily over one another, the sounds of our moans and groans intermixed with laughter filled the air. She pushed me down onto the bed and straddled me, I flipped her over onto the bed and entered her, she moaned and dug her fingernails into my back. We lost any semblance of control and succumbed to pure instinct and lust. She arched her back and cried out in pleasure and I buried myself in her and roared as we climaxed together. I collapsed on the bed next to her, both of us panting and coated in sweat. She started to giggle then sang

_Whoopi-ty-aye-oh _

_Rockin' to and fro _

_Back in the saddle again..._

I laughed, rolled over and kissed her "That's _one way_ of putting it!" She rolled over to face me, her eyes sparkled with mirth and pleasure "It was better than my first choice which was the fight music from original 'Star Trek' series." She started humming it and didn't get far, we both started laughing. I pulled the blanket over us and we laid there looking in each other's eyes for some time. "Katie, I have a question." She smiled "I might have an answer." I thought for a moment trying to formulate a way of asking it "This may sound like a strange question and it's difficult to put in words so it won't be construed in the wrong way..." She caressed me and snuggled up next to me "Take your time, babycakes. Don't worry; you won't offend me or anything." I looked her in the eyes "You are so different...maybe it was the women I've been with before but they would never enjoy or tolerate what we've just done. It'd be too...too..." She finished the statement for me "Too rough? Not 'romantic' enough or whatever?" I nodded and she smiled "Sometimes it is good to let a man be a _male_ and allow myself to be a _female_. Last night was a wondrously sublime night filled with love, desire and passion. This afternoon we let go and allowed our instincts and lust to run free. Last night was man and woman; this afternoon was male and female. Last night was lovemaking, this afternoon was sex. Two very different ways of achieving the same goal, both highly pleasurable. I know and understand the difference between the two and am quite capable of enjoying both." She giggled "You know, we just screwed up the Klingon mating ritual! I hurled a heavy object-you. You didn't read any love poetry." I laughed "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day..." I didn't get any farther than that.

Thankfully our children are very good alarm clocks, otherwise we'd have dozed away the afternoon. Katie scrambled to get cleaned up so she could feed them while I changed their nappies. They giggled at me as I explained to them the disgust level of what they both had in their nappies. After years of medical training and decades of medical practice I'm still amazed at what can come out of such a small being, and in such quantity. By the time I had that done she came in to give them their afternoon snack "Oooh...you two are _hungry!_" We discussed our course of action for the rest of the afternoon while they ate. Katie had done the majority of the preparations for dinner this morning, all that was left was to cook it. She still had the bread to make but that took about 20 minutes in actual preparation and an hour to rise, then the dough is punched down and allowed to rise again for about 30 minutes. Afterwards it takes 45 minutes to bake. I would clean up the bedroom (again) and tidy the rest of the house. Katie wasn't sure what they might like for dinner, neither was I. It was going to be a very pleasant night outside so we opted for dinner on the patio and she chose a 'shotgun' approach as to what to serve. Buy a selection of meats, seafood, fish and vegetables-marinate the ones that needed it, then let them select what they wanted and grill them. She had prepared a selection of side dishes and salads that would go well with all of them and was making a Tarte aux Fraises for dessert along with a fresh fruit and cheeseboard. I told her not to go through all the trouble to make the tarte, she smiled "It's dirt easy to make, it's also one of the very few desserts that you'll actually eat. It has lots of fruit and little sugar in it compared to other desserts and it 'presents' well. It _always _works as a dessert, especially if you don't know your guests all that well."

After a couple of hours of work all the preparations were done so laid a quilt on the floor and sat and played with the twins on it while we waited for our guests to arrive. We'd changed clothes-Katie had put on a simple shirt in deep teal that accentuated her eyes and a clean pair of jeans, both of which accentuated her figure. Her maroon ranger's belt had made its first appearance in months and she had put on some Eau du Merveilles. I put on a blue checked poplin sport shirt and a clean pair of navy chinos. The twins were kitted out in the penguin print onesies that her friends from the USAP had sent. As the time of their arrival approached I started to become uneasy, worried more about what they might say to Katie than anything else. She picked up on my change in mood and asked "What's wrong, my love?" I sighed "I'm just a bit apprehensive. My parents both have acid tongues and I'm afraid they might say something hurtful to you or might make you angry." She took my hand and smiled "Don't worry! I'm a big girl and can hold my own. I doubt they will do anything like that but if they do just remember that it will flow like water off a duck's back on me. I won't be hurt or angry. But I'm going to guess that they won't do any of those things, _in fact I suspect_ _they are more afraid of you then you are of them_. Remember that Mercy is the handmaiden of Forgiveness-as Shakespeare so aptly put it..."

_"__The quality of mercy is not strained. _

_It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven _

_Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: _

_**It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. **_

_**Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes **_

_**The throned monarch better than his crown.**_

_His scepter shows the force of temporal power, _

_The attribute to awe and majesty, _

_Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings. _

_But mercy is above this sceptered sway; _

_It is enthroned in the hearts of kings; _

_It is an attribute of God himself; _

_And earthly power doth then show like God's _

_When mercy seasons justice."_

"By forgiving them in your heart and mind you have slayed the monsters and caged the demons, showing mercy clads you in an armor that _nothing_ can penetrate. Not only does it protect you but it makes you a greater person as a whole and frees your soul to soar among the clouds. Anger and fear kill the mind and eventually obliterates all. Let them go." I caressed her hand and looked into her eyes "How did you become so wise?" She laughed "I'm not wise, but I love you for thinking I am. I've just seen things that you wouldn't believe and had to deal with situations you could never imagine. Those things taught me a great deal about life and humanity as a whole. Trust me when I tell you that anything that transpires here tonight will be a picnic compared to some of the things I've dealt with...Ooh! Look! William has rolled onto his side all by himself!" I picked him up and gave him a kiss "You're a clever baby, William! I love you, sweetie!" As I kissed him the doorbell rang, he was startled by this and Katie laughed "Look at his face! He looks just like you when you're startled!" I handed William to Katie and kissed her then stood and went to answer the doorbell, as I walked Katie said:

_"__Therefore, send not to know _

_For whom the bell tolls, _

_It tolls for thee."_

I shot her an eyebrow, she giggled and said "It'll be OK, babycakes!"

Right before I went down the hallway to the door I turned to look at the scene our guests would be greeted with. Everything was clean and in its place. Fresh flowers were placed at various locations giving off a lovely combination of scents that intermingled with the smell of the bread that had just come out of the oven. The sky was beginning to turn shades of pink and gold of the coming sunset and the back garden looked lovely in the light. The soft sounds of Collioure's "Perfect Resort" intermixed with the sounds of the waterfall and bird calls riding on the soft breeze. Katie was sitting on the floor on the quilt near the fireplace tickling a giggling Elizabeth and telling her what a good baby she was. She _was_ a good baby, they both were. To me the scene before me was sheer bliss. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes to center my chi then strode towards the door and opened it...


	91. Chapter 91: Dinner for Six

**_Chapter 91: Dinner for Six_**

"Good evening, Martin!" Ruth said with a slight smile. I replied as I held the door open for them to enter "Good evening, please come in." Don followed Ruth in and greeted me. My parents stood outside, I think they were almost as shocked to see me as I was to see them. Ruth was right, they have changed. My father was always a brash and confident to the point of cocky man, now he seemed rather timid. My mother always had an expression of haughty disdain frozen on her face whenever she interacted with me, which wasn't much. That was gone, replaced with softer expressions that were hard for me to read. Katie had walked over and stood beside me "Welcome to our home, Dr. and Mrs. Ellingham! Please do come in!" They both smiled, something I was surprised to see my mother do, and stepped in. I closed the door and introduced Katie to my parents. She shook their hands and said "It's a pleasure to meet you both! Please make yourselves at home. Is there anything I can get you to drink?" My father smiled "Some tea would be lovely, thank you." My mother smiled "Tea does sound lovely." Katie asked "Any particular kind? We have Earl Grey, Assam, Darjeeling, Yorkshire Gold, Barry's Irish. I'm afraid that the only green tea we have is Izu Matcha." My parents looked at each other then my mother said "Darjeeling would be wonderful, thank you." Katie turned to Ruth and Don "What can I get you two?" They replied that tea would be good. Then she turned to me "What about you, sweetie-espresso or tea?" I smiled "Tea will do splendidly." She turned and headed towards the kitchen "Coming right up!" while I led our guests into the living room. Katie had put the twins in their bassinet and folded up the quilt. Ruth asked "Where are the twins? I'd love to see my grandniece and nephew." I replied "They're in their bassinet. They're not asleep yet; we were playing with them right before you came. William was quite clever today; he rolled over all by himself."

We walked over towards the bassinet, the sounds of giggles and gurgles told me they had heard my voice and as we peered in at them we were greeted by big smiles and wiggling arms and legs. Elizabeth had her hand clutched on ear of one of the small teddy bears I'd brought back from London and was trying to wave it around. I watched my parents as they saw their grandchildren for the first time, they both smiled at them and said hello in soft voices. In the corner of my eye I saw Ruth watching me watch them, the look on her face told me she was analyzing our reactions towards one another and was pleased so far. When they heard Don greet them they giggled and smiled. They knew him, they didn't know the members of my family. Katie had dropped something in the kitchen and it startled the twins. My father smiled "William has your facial expressions, Martin. They both have your hands, too." I smiled "Katie and I have the same hand shape so it's a bit hard to tell at the moment but you're right." I decided to be a bit bold "Would you like to hold them?" Both of them looked at me in surprise, I don't think they thought I'd offer something like that. My mother finally said "We'd love to, if it's permitted." I smiled "Of course it is, please sit wherever you like and I'll bring them to you." They all adjourned to the living room and got comfortable, I looked over at Ruth and Don, they were _quite _comfortable. Ruth flashed me an actual smile and nodded which told me that was still pleased. I picked up Elizabeth and her teddy bear and brought her over to my father, I brought William and his little Loon stuffed toy over to my mother as I did so I said "If you squeeze the toy it plays a Loon call, they both love to hear that." I gave it a squeeze to demonstrate it and they both smiled and giggled. My father said "What kind of bird is that, I've never seen or heard one before." I replied "In North America they are called the Common Loon, in Eurasia they're called Great Northern Divers. They occasionally can be seen in the UK during the winter months." Katie came in with the big Bodum Assam teapot and warmer and her Hagi wave ippukuwan cups. "This is as close to a tea set as I've got I'm afraid. I'll be right back with the milk, sugar and the rest." I asked "Need some help?" She smiled "Nope, I'm fine. Just sit back and relax, babycakes." I sat down and said "How was your journey over here?" My father replied "Quite nice, actually. The train ran about twenty minutes late but we made it to the airport in plenty of time. Flight was smooth, we slept most of the way." Katie returned with the milk, sugar, plates and an assortment of biscuits and mini muffins and started serving our guests. I stood up and took the twins back to their bassinet so we could enjoy our tea and they could enjoy a nap. They were already half asleep. My mother remarked "This is a beautiful home you have here. So light and airy yet quite cozy and private despite its size, one might think this house was in the middle of a forest, not in the heart of a large city."

We talked for a couple hours, catching up on our lives while carefully dancing around the landmines of the past. It was not the time to discuss those, that time would come later. What we were doing was finding who we are _now_. Conversation was stilted at first but became easier as time went on. I discovered that Ruth had been right in her assessment of them, they had changed a lot and were quite pleasant people to be around now. My parents had brought some gifts for the twins. Two small bunny stuffed animals, my mother said "We thought they probably had some teddy bears already and these are so cute." They were cute and Katie said when we opened them "Thank you! They remind me of my Bunbun I had when I was a child. I had a bunny, not a teddy bear. Bunbun was destroyed in the fire so my father bought me another one when I was in the hospital." Apparently Ruth had not told them that bit of my wife's past so she told them her 'public' version of it. They had also brought them two satin baby blankets and the last gift surprised me. It was the sterling silver baby rattle with a red coral teething ring on one end and a deep blue topaz prism on the other that had been in our family for generations. My great-great-great grandfather had bought it in India in 1837. My father said when I opened it "This rightfully belongs with you to pass along to the next generation of our family. You broke with family tradition and I once thought that was a very bad thing. I now think it is a very good thing. It's time for some new traditions. At least your children will grow up with the love of the sea and sail its waters. That is a very good thing, too."

When it came time to prepare dinner Katie said to my parents "I wasn't sure what your tastes were so what I did was buy a variety of meats, fish and seafood for you to choose from. I can cook them anyway you wish. I know what Ruth and Don like and will be grilling our stuff but if you prefer them to be cooked in another way I will be quite happy to do so. Don piped up "She's an excellent cook, everything she makes is wonderful." She led them to the kitchen so she could show them what was on offer and describe the ways she could prepare them. While they were in there Ruth said "Things are going quite well so far. I was surprised that you offered to let them hold the twins, though. I thought you might be rather vigilant when it came to them, considering your history." I replied "I was doing my own bit of psychological analysis there. I wanted to see how they interacted with them." Ruth smiled slightly and had a twinkle in her eye "And what did you conclude from your observations, Dr. Ellingham?" I replied "They were quite hesitant at first, I'd say almost fearful. Both of them were very tense. Once they relaxed they were very careful with them to ensure they did nothing to harm them or make them uncomfortable and tried to interact with them. It was fairly obvious that they had little experience in doing so but they warmed to the process. The smiles and giggles from the twins towards the end indicated to me that they were comfortable with them and enjoyed being held by them. All in all my impression is that they are both trying very hard to not only make the twins comfortable with them but to make _me_ comfortable with them. I also think that they both really like Katie but are a bit puzzled by her. I feel that she is not what they had expected her to be like." Ruth replied "That is a pretty good analysis, Martin. Of course the true test is coming when you three decide to quit dancing around the minefield and start working on defusing them. So far its been a good start, you are getting comfortable with who they are now and they are getting comfortable with you."

When they had come back we adjourned to the patio, night was falling and the breeze made it a quite pleasant place to be. Katie fired up the pit and we made our guests comfortable then excused ourselves in order to feed and attend to the twins. As we fed them we talked about how things had gone so far. "I'm rather surprised by it all, it seems almost surreal. I keep on waiting for one of them to say something nasty." Katie replied "It's obvious to me that they are trying very hard to build a bridge to you. They are also afraid of you. I'm not sure why they are yet but if I were to guess they fear that you will reject them, in fact I feel that they expect you to and are doing what they can to avoid you doing so." William had finished his bottle but was still hungry so Katie nursed them both until they were full then we winded and cuddled them. I asked her what she thought of them "Oh, they seem nice but I know enough to be cautious. I also suspect that they are trying hard to keep their finely honed snobbish disdain of America and Americans buried. I've had to deal with enough of _that crap_ in my life to be able to smell it a mile away. It used to bother me until I realized it is a sign of weakness, insecurity and dependence." I was going to respond to that one but thought it best to keep my mouth shut. She smiled "I know you keep _yours_ well buried, too. Don't worry; your secret is safe with me. Anyway...these two are almost asleep and we'd better get back to our guests." As we tucked them in and headed back downstairs I thought about what she had said. Was it _that _obvious? I know that when I first came up with idea of leaving the UK my first round of choices in places to go to were _definitely_ not in America and especially _not_ Texas. Why? Because even though I knew that I'd find more opportunities in America then elsewhere I didn't want to move here because of my own '_finely honed snobbish disdain of America and Americans'. _In the sixteen months I've lived here my attitudes had changed, at least I thought they had. I found that the longer I lived here the more I enjoyed it, for the most part. I even have an American wife! Some things still do irritate me but they are things that I had also encountered in the UK and Europe, too, just in a slightly different wrapper. As my _American_ wife would say "Stupidity, idiocy and ignorance are equal opportunity employers. They do not discriminate against anyone based on age, race, religion, color, handicap, sex, physical condition, developmental disability, sexual orientation or national origin." I decided to put this train of thought away to be pondered later so I could concentrate on the tasks at hand.

While Katie prepared dinner the rest of us sat by the pool and talked. My father said "Don has told us what you've been up to since you started work here, you certainly have a lot of things going at once. You run a large department, perform surgery, teach, mentor and have found the time to get another degree, become a board certified trauma surgeon, get married and have children. That research project you have sounds fascinating, though I don't understand the technology you are working with. I don't know how you find the time to do all of it." I smiled "Delegation of authority and duties, organization, planning and prioritization. It helps that the managerial structure and 'cultural attitudes' here encourage ideas and allow you the freedom to work on them. It also helps that I have a wife that understands and encourages me and the things I'm trying to accomplish." Don said "I'd been trying to get your son over here for quite some time because I knew that he would thrive here. I know you three have been estranged for quite some time so I don't know if you are aware of who and what your son_ is_ and what he is capable of. What I'm about to say is not meant as anything other than a statement of fact. Your son is one of the greatest surgeons any of us have ever seen, he is also one of the greatest diagnosticians any of us have seen. He also has a natural talent for biomechanical and biomolecular engineering. From what we've already seen with his research project, and mind you it's still in phase one, we fully expect at least 20 or 30 new patents on techniques and equipment that will be revolutionary and at least one or two Nobel prizes by the time everything is said and done. In fact it has already generated two patents..." I saw Ruth squeeze Don's hand to stop him before he said too much. Don was one of the few that knew most of what I had been through with my parents and knowing him he was winding up to lay into them. When we had gone back to small talk Ruth excused herself to go to the loo but I saw her spend a couple of minutes talking to Katie in the kitchen before she came back. They were up to something in there, I wasn't sure what.

Dinner was an absolute success; everyone complimented Katie on it. I know I found it to be one of the best meals she'd ever made and she is a fantastic cook. When we had finished I helped Katie clean up and we all sat back and relaxed by the pool and enjoyed the breezy night. After a while Katie excused herself to go feed the twins and get them ready for the night. I offered to help but she told me to stay and relax. Soon after Ruth mentioned that she had left one of her medications at Don's house so Don offered to drive her back there to fetch it.

That left just me and my parents and it didn't take long for the fireworks to begin...


	92. Chapter 92: Bloody Sheets

**_Chapter 92: Bloody Sheets_**

The awkward silence lasted for few minutes. It was broken like a rock breaks a windowpane by my father. "Why did you move to America? Couldn't you have found somewhere to work in the UK?" I replied "Because I needed to start my life over and this was the place that offered me the best opportunity to do so. The key words in that sentence are _'my life'_..." He looked at the lemonade in his glass just like he used to look at his scotch. "I understand...you didn't have much of a life before. That is our fault and for that I'm sorry. I know that sorry is a totally inadequate word to use to apologize for what we did to you, both as a child and an adult." I looked at them and they looked at me "What I want to know is **why?** If you didn't want a child then why did you have one? Do you know how painful it was for me to hear you tell me that I'd ruined your life, Mother? Do you understand _the horror_ that I've lived with since that _one night_, Father? Put yourself in my place for a moment and think of how you'd feel if you had gone through what I did at your hands and don't try to tell me you went through the same because _I know neither one of you did_. Do either one of you really understand the depth of the scars you left on me? The demons I've had to live with? The nightmares? The pain? The anger? _The guilt?" It has taken me over **FIFTY YEARS** to finally get over it all._ For the first time in my life I can say that I'm happy and at peace with myself, now all I want to do is to understand **why**.

My mother spoke in a quiet voice. "You _did_ ruin my life, but it was wrong of me to blame you for it as I did for so many years. When I became pregnant with you it made me very ill and I was confined to bed for a great part of that time. Yours was a very difficult birth. I almost died during it and it left me in great pain and incapable of resuming relations for quite some time. It also left me sterile. Your father had _always_ cheated on me, which was not unusual. Most of the men of our social circle did, they all had a wife and a mistress or two. The wives _always_ knew and just accepted it, they may have not liked it but had to accept it. I found it very difficult to accept because, unlike so many others, I actually loved him. What was different in our case was that after you were born he started blaming me for having to seek the comfort of others and blamed me for being incapable of bearing any more children. That angered me greatly because I knew about his mistresses _before_ you came along and it wasn't my fault that I couldn't have more children. He behaved like I had _consciously chosen_ to not have any more children when he knew full well that it was because of medical reasons. That is when he called me a 'deflated balloon' and we started to live totally separate lives. We both blamed you and your mere existence for it. It was more convenient for us to blame you then to face the reality of the situation. The reality of the situation was that we should've divorced and gone our separate ways but divorce at that time within our social circle would have led to us being ostracized by our families and friends. _We would have lost_ _everything_.

"It was easy for us to maintain the façade of a happy marriage while basically living with others. I couldn't get pregnant which was a great boon to concealing my affairs and the social attitudes at the time allowed him to have his mistresses and for me to look the other way. The only difficulty _was_ you-you were a sensitive, frightened and needy child. In retrospect I can understand why you were-you had no way to defend yourself from the storm that was swirling around you and no one to protect you. You wanted a mother and I found that all I wanted to do was drown my sorrows and pain with drink and drugs, attend parties and luncheons with my friends or be with my lovers much more than I wanted to be your mother. You were a living reminder of all that had gone wrong in my life and marriage. I resented you for it and had little patience with you. When I became frustrated by you or overwhelmed by my feelings towards you I'd beat you and lock up in that cupboard because I just couldn't cope. Your nannies were outraged by our behavior which is why we could never keep one around for long, so we packed you off to boarding school or your Aunt Joan's for the summer as soon as we could. That way we could get on with our lives and not have you in the way. That was exceptionally cold-hearted, selfish and cruel and I regret it deeply now but it was the truth at the time. Now that the flames of passion have finally been quenched we have found that, despite all, your father and I still do love one another. Now that we've lost everything we've discovered that those things were _not_ the important things in life. Now that we have stopped drinking and taking drugs we've begun to grasp the depths of the damage we have done to you. It _is_ horrible but there is no way we can undo it. All we can attempt to do is atone for what we've done and to place ourselves at your mercy. _We will_ _accept what you decide is best for you_. If you do decide that you want nothing to do with us I will understand completely and I do thank you for allowing us to visit you and to see our grandchildren."

We sat in silence for some time. I stared at the waterfall in the pool. The 'highlight' reel was playing in my head. It was playing the part where I discovered that I actually 'liked' being in the cupboard. It was quiet, it was safe and they left me alone in there as long as I didn't make a sound. I'd hide toys, books and some candy in there so I would have something to do and eat while locked up. I was remembering that, at the time, I would imagine I was sailing along with Robin Knox-Johnson on the 'Suhaili' in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race when I was put in the cupboard. It was at that time that I decided to make my own 'fortress' in the attic. It would afford me all the 'comforts' of the cupboard along with a small window for light and I could watch what was going on outside in the street. The added benefit was that my parents wouldn't know where I was. If they couldn't find me, they couldn't hurt me.

I was brought back from my memories by the voice of my father. _I was dreading this_.

"I don't know the real reasons why, it's been something that I've been trying to understand myself. Part of it has to do with what your mother spoke of. At the time I had just resigned from the Navy and had become one of the best general surgeons in the country with an ego to match. It was the 'swinging 60's' and London was epicenter of that at the time and we were at the heart of all. We were invited to all the 'right' parties, were regulars at all the 'right' nightclubs and were a part of the 'in crowd'. I was young, handsome and brilliant. I had women falling all over me and I had quite a weakness for those women. I wanted to be free to enjoy what life in 1960's London had to offer for someone of my status and looks but couldn't be. I was married and, as your mother pointed out, we would have been ostracized and lost everything if we'd gotten a divorce. We both felt trapped. I also was, for the lack of a better term, angered by you for much the same reasons your mother described. I also thought you were too sensitive, soft, and weak and I had no patience for that. I felt you needed to be toughened up and was afraid you were going to turn out to be a nancy boy. No son of mine was going to become one of _those! _I was going to beat that out of you even if it _killed_ you. The more you cried the angrier I became; eventually you quit crying when I would beat you and that made me even angrier. You were still sensitive, soft and emotional but you no longer cried when I beat you and I felt that you no longer feared me. One night I'd come home after attending a very wild party. I was _very_ drunk and your mother was away in the south of France with her current lover. I dismissed the nanny for the night and she went home. I sat there and brooded over my scotch, trying to think of a way that would toughen you up for good and turn you into a man. In my drink and drug induced stupor it seemed quite logical that the only way to do it was to give you a taste of what you were in for if you decided to become a nancy boy. _So I did..."_

"The next morning when your nanny had come to work she was frightened by how you were behaving. She pounded on the door of my bedroom and told me that you were behaving quite peculiarly and seemed to be quite ill-you were laying there with your eyes open but totally unresponsive. She thought you were dead. When she tried to touch you you screamed and hit her. When she described how you were acting I remembered what I'd done and it _sickened_ me. I put on my robe and followed her to your room, you gathered the covers around you and crammed yourself into the corner when you saw me-your eyes filled with fright. When you did so we both saw the blood on the sheets, the nanny ran out of the room and I followed her to stop her. I knew she was going to call the police. I paid her £20,000, which was a vast sum at the time, to keep her mouth shut and to help me with you until your mother came home or school started again. I rang your mother in the south of France and begged her to come home but she wouldn't, probably because I didn't dare tell her the reason why she needed to. You had completely shut down, showed no emotions whatsoever except anger, said nothing and lashed out with all your might if anyone tried to touch you. I didn't dare take you to hospital and you wouldn't let me anywhere near you so the nanny cleaned you and your room up. You wouldn't sleep in your bed and had taken to sleeping in the bathtub with the door locked. We worried that you would starve but after a couple of days you started to eat something if we set it on your desk and left the room. Eventually the nanny got you to the point where you would dress yourself and leave your room as long as I wasn't in the house. I contemplated having you institutionalized because I doubted you would ever be a functional human being again. I tried to commit suicide but couldn't go through with it."

"You were supposed to go to your Aunt Joan's the next week but I couldn't have that. I knew that the minute Joan found out what had happened she would file to have you taken away from us and I couldn't afford that kind of publicity if it leaked out. She had already asked to adopt you and we had shut that down. When she discussed it with us she told me that she _knew_ what was going on and would find a way to spread it if we didn't let her adopt you and if we stopped your summer visits she would tell all. I needed an excuse to cover up the true reason why I wasn't going to let you see her and it had to be something that she couldn't argue with me about. So I rang her and told her that I'd found out about her and John and didn't want you to be around someone like her so you weren't going to be spending the summer or any other summer with her again. I told her that if she fought me I'd make damned sure everyone in that village she lived in knew about her affair with John plus _much_ more. She knew that would ruin her and her marriage so she relented. Ruth found out about what happened, the nanny called her and asked her advice. She rang me, called me a monster and told me to take you see a psychiatrist and a psychologist. She also said she was going to contact a solicitor to see what it would take to have you permanently removed from our care. She also told our parents what she knew and they disowned me, which is why you never saw your grandparents again. I wouldn't allow them any contact with you. I also wouldn't allow Ruth to have any contact with you."

"After that summer I'd arranged with the school to keep you for all the holidays. Your mother thought it was so we could enjoy ourselves without you being around to dampen things. My reason was to keep her from finding out what had happened. The headmaster did contact us to discuss your change in behavior and the fact that you were increasingly being bullied, we responded by changing the school you were attending. You were off at school or university thereafter and we had little contact which suited all of us just fine. When you broke family tradition and refused to go into the Navy we had that huge row and afterwards we had no contact with each other for years. We went our separate ways-you went on to become a great surgeon and we retired and moved to Portugal."

"That brings us to the time when we came to demand my share of the farm from Joan. By then we had lost most of our money on bad investments, your mother wanted a divorce and the villa. We didn't know about the Haemophobia and didn't understand why you would give up your career as a surgeon to become a GP in some Cornish backwater. A few years later everything came crashing down around us. Your mother had been taken to the cleaners by that lover of hers and was destitute, I was staying at my club while I retrained to become a GP, by the time your mother moved back to the UK I had finished my training. We eventually drifted back together again, dealt with our alcohol and drug addictions together and rented a small flat in London. I worked as a GP at a clinic in Greenwich. London was a depressing place for us so we started looking for somewhere else to settle down at. An opening for a GP in Bowness-on-Windermere came up, I applied for it and was accepted and we moved up there. By then we had gone through treatment for our addictions and were sober and became active AA members. Steps eight and nine of the twelve steps are '_Make a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.' _and_ 'Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others_.' Joan was dead by then and we knew she wouldn't have talked to us if she were alive so we contacted Ruth to try to make amends to her. Thankfully she was agreeable to this and we have worked hard to make amends to her. We wanted to make amends to you and asked her advice. She recommended to us that we leave you alone and not to attempt to make contact with you. _The damage we'd done was too great-you had never gotten over it and probably never would._ She told us that deep down you felt you _deserved_ everything that happened to you even though you did not understand why you did. In cases like yours many survivors of that kind of abuse view what had happened to them as being 'normal' because to them it _was_ 'normal'. We followed her advice though it greatly saddened us to do so. The reality of what we'd done to you is a great burden to bear and it is one we will bear to the grave."

"At Christmas we were all surprised by the email you sent us announcing the birth of the twins. Ruth was surprised because they weren't due until the middle of January and we were surprised that you sent us one _at all_. We had no idea you had left Cornwall! We rang Ruth to tell her we'd received the email from you and she was quite surprised you had sent one to us. Before you sent us that email every time we'd ask Ruth about you she refused to tell us anything outside of that you were well. She said "It seems that your son has finally slayed his last childhood demon and is at peace with himself. He has worked quite hard to rid himself of the monsters and demons that have plagued him since childhood and his wife has been instrumental in helping him do so. The progress he has made since he left the UK and especially since he met Katie is quite remarkable. She would be an excellent psychologist if she were so inclined to become one." We asked her to tell us why you were living in America and she told us about your life since we had last talked to you. We were gobsmacked by it all-especially when she told us that you had been married once before and had a 6 year old son! She sent us a photo of Louisa and James and a photo of you and Katie on your wedding day-we hardly recognized you in that photo, you looked very different then you did the last time we saw you. I asked her if she thought it'd be alright if we replied to the email and she said 'You will find that your son is a very different man now. Hopefully you are, too.' That brings us up to where we are today."

"I have no defense for my actions and to try to would only cause further harm. I was a terrible monster to you. _If I could undo everything that I've done to you over the years I would in a heartbeat!_ But I can't...All I can do is beg forgiveness, ask humbly for mercy and try my best to make amends. I will understand completely if you reject us-we've both caused grievous damage and excruciating pain to you. There is one thing you do need to know, we might not get the chance to tell you because you may throw us out of your home and your life at any time..."

He took a deep breath, looked at my mother then looked at me "You have a half-sister. We didn't know until recently of her existence. She is seven years younger than you and is the child of one of my mistresses. Her mother was a French woman named Nicolette Lefebvre and her name is Giselle. Her mother died a little over a year ago and told her who her father was on her death bed. She had always known that her mother's husband was not her real father. He adopted her when they married and they decided to not hide the truth from her outside of the name of her biological father. She searched for me and showed up on our doorstep a couple of months ago. She is a very nice woman who was born in Paris and now lives in Chamonix. She is married and has two grown children of her own, her and her husband own and operate a mountain guide and expedition business. They also own a rather popular café in Chamonix. She asked if she had any brothers or sisters and we told her that she did but should not attempt to find you or communicate with you in any way until we had told you of her existence. We both felt that the shock of this news might be too great for you to bear if she contacted you without warning."

They both stood up and my father said "We will leave you in peace to think about what we've said. I know this has been hard for you to hear and will take time to digest. We will wait for your decision inside." With that they walked back into the house leaving me to my thoughts. I sat there and stared at the waterfall, my mind was so overloaded by everything that I shut it down and concentrated on the waterfall as a form of meditation until I was prepared to sort through all I'd just heard. After some time, I don't know how long, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder-it was Katie. She sat down next to me and took my hand. We sat there in silence for some time, it was eventually broken by the sound of the 'I'm hungry' cry of William. I looked at Katie and she said softly "I'll take care of it, you stay here..." She gently kissed my cheek and left to attend to our children, I went back to staring at the waterfall and sorting through the deluge of my thoughts. I fell asleep. When I awoke it was dawn, a light blanket covered me and it was covered in dew. The birds were starting to sing in the dim, cool light of the foggy grey dawn. I got up, shook the dew off the blanket and went into the house. Katie had left a light on for me and had gone to bed; I turned the light off and went upstairs to join her. As I passed by the nursery I looked in on the twins, they were dreaming happy dreams. I felt like I was walking through a dream as I walked into our bedroom. Katie was curled up and sleeping peacefully, the dim light of the dawn shimmering on her hair. I undressed, dropping my clothes in a heap on the floor as I did so, and crawled into bed. As I did so she woke up and without a word took me into her arms and cradled me, I started to cry. She said softly as she held me "Shhhh...It's alright...sleep, my love..." and I fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.


	93. Chapter 93: Scholarly Works

**_Chapter 93: Scholarly Works_**

I heard Katie say softly "We have to be very quiet, daddy's sleeping..." followed by the soft babbles, gurgles, coos and giggles of William and Elizabeth. I opened my eyes to see my family on the floor, Katie had laid out the quilt where my clothes had been and was playing with the twins on it. She looked up and smiled "Good morning, my love!" then she said to the twins "Momma's got to give daddy a cuddle...he _needs_ one." she came over and lay down next to me and took me in her arms. I let the love I felt flowing from her in that hug wash over me, I snuggled into its warmth and let it cleanse me. She whispered "It's _over_...the past is gone and it's a new day...a new life...you are _free_..." I raised my head and looked into those beautiful green eyes; she beamed a warm smile at me and nodded to confirm that it was all true. I finally released the past like a black balloon; it floated off into the mist of distant memory. When I did so it felt so strange..._and so good! _ I did a tentative search in my mind...yes, the memories were still there...but the demons those memories would summon forth had _gone_. The lockbox I kept them in was _empty_. Those memories were now little more than a chapter in the book of my life, dry words on a page and about as alive as the ink on the page. I had thought before that I'd finally slayed my demons, now I knew that I had just gravely wounded and subdued them. Today they were truly dead and gone. I started to laugh for the _sheer joy_ of it; Katie smiled and started to laugh too. I pulled her close and gave her deep kiss, when we parted she giggled "Happy birthday, babycakes!" I looked at her "My birthday is in November, sweetie." She smiled and caressed me "No..._Today_ is your birthday. Don once compared you to a phoenix and the comparison is quite appropriate. I've seen you go through a series of rebirths as you have struggled, overcome and subdued the horrors of your life one by one. Last night was the final battle and a few moments ago you finally banished them for all time. I knew that when you started laughing-your laughter, facial expressions and body language told me so. So, yes, today _is_ your birthday. You will have many more rebirths, we all do as time goes on, but this one is the _important_ one!" I kissed her gently and asked once again "How did you become so _wise_?" She smiled "Someday I'll tell you, but that isn't important right now...So, my love, what do you want to do today? The birthday boy gets to choose!" I thought about it for a moment then said "Well, first I'd like to take a shower and get dressed. Then have some breakfast. The rest of the day I want to spend with you and our children." She got up and put out her hand to help me get up "Sounds like a plan! What would you like for breakfast, babycakes?" I got up and embraced her "Surprise me!" she giggled and gave my bum a squeeze "_Nice birthday suit! _Enjoy your shower, sweetie, I've got babies to wrangle and breakfast to make."

I did enjoy my shower, the water felt good on my skin. I completed the rest of my morning hygiene routine and dressed for the day. I went downstairs to the kitchen, stopping first to kiss and cuddle the twins, they smiled big smiles at me as I did. When I reached the kitchen Katie was all smiles and quite busy I walked up behind her and put my arms around her then I saw what she was making...it was sushi! I laughed "Sushi for breakfast?" She giggled "It's the breakfast of champions! Actually its breakfast sushi...Scrambled eggs cooked to rice like consistency with just a bit of cooking spray, thinly sliced smoked salmon, green onion, cucumber and avocado wrapped in a sesame soy wrapper. The dipping sauce is something I just thought up." She dipped a spoon in it and handed it to me "Taste it and see if you like it." I tasted it, it was delicious and I thought it would go quite well with her 'sushi'. "That's wonderful! What's in it?" She replied "Oh...just some Emmi yogurt, a bit of fromage frais for body, a dash of lemon juice, a dash of soy sauce and some spices that I thought would go well with the combination of ingredients in the 'sushi'. I think a Hollandaise sauce might be better but that's a bit on the rich side. I wanted to keep this as light as possible while trying to achieve a Hollandaise like texture. Would you make us some espresso's while I put everything on the table, kind sir?" The table had been set with her best sushi plates, chopsticks and bamboo placemats. The glass saké decanter held orange juice instead of saké-the blue glass insert in it held some ice to keep the juice chilled. Her crescent Ikebana vase held a tasteful arrangement of fresh flowers from the garden. She took the rice bowls out of the fridge and set them on the table, they contained a fruit salad of melon, berries, Satsuma slices, kiwi and green apples with a splash of Grande Marnier. I made our espressos, a regular for me and a decaf mocha for her and brought them to the table then we sat down to eat. It was a surprisingly good breakfast with a variety of tastes and textures that all worked well together. "I told you to surprise me and you certainly have! We need to have this again for breakfast." She smiled at the compliment "I'm glad you like it! I hoped you would, it's very different from your usual egg and soldiers."

As we ate I asked her about what happened after my parents went inside. She said "Well, we sat and talked for a couple hours, mostly light conversation. We talked about their plans for the rest of their visit-Don and Danny are going to be showing them a real good time from the sound of it! They're going to be attending some very swanky parties and other events. Your parents asked me a _lot_ of questions; they were curious about me and were trying to learn who I am. So I told them. I showed them photos of my parents, my brother, where I grew up, the places I'd been, the planes I've flown, etc. I explained the situation with my sister. They asked how we met and I told them, leaving the bit about the dreams out of it. I told them about how you proposed to me and I did tell them that we had met once a very long time ago, Don and Ruth hadn't heard that story and found it very interesting. I showed them photos and videos from our wedding and honeymoon. They were astounded that we'd sailed all the way there and back, that is until I showed them pictures of the 'Isilme'. They were quite surprised at how spacious she is, the amenities she has and her speed. I also showed them my scars. I'd told them about the fire and being in the hospital and your father asked to see them. I could tell his interest was medical from the way he formulated the question so I assented to it. I watched their reaction while I did, they weren't repulsed by the sight and the feeling I sensed from them was sadness. Your mother said 'You poor thing, that must've been very painful and hard to deal with.' I smiled at her and said 'Yes, it was painful but I lived through it. The only problem it causes me now is that we can't really go anywhere 'fancy'. I don't dare wear a dress unless its floor length, which leaves a lot of places, events and activities out for me. I also wear a skinsuit instead of a bathing suit, partially to keep the sun off the scars but mostly to hide them. Getting too much sun on them is painful; it makes it feel like I'm burning again." I smiled "I'm not surprised. You are quite different than anyone they've probably ever met. You are also the first woman they've ever met that I've been involved with. They knew about but never met Edith, they didn't know about Louisa."

After we finished breakfast and cleaned up it was time for the twins mid-morning snack so we attended to that and cuddled them until they were drowsy then laid them down in their cot. As we left their room Katie said "We've got a couple hours before they're hungry again, anything special you'd like to do?" I smiled and said "Yes. All I want to do is cuddle up with you right now and just relax. Maybe later we can take the twins to the park or do something else." She put her arm around me "That _does_ sound good." I grabbed our tablets, Katie brought some Iced Tea for us and we went outside and cuddled up on the lounge. I looked at what Katie was reading, it was a paper entitled "_Siberian Traps large igneous province: Evidence for two flood basalt pulses around the Permo-Triassic boundary and in the Middle Triassic, and contemporaneous granitic magmatism_". I looked at the title of the paper I was reading "_Integration and Regression of Implanted Engineered Human Vascular Networks during Deep Wound Healing_" and laughed. Katie looked up from her paper "What are you laughing about?" I replied "Louisa would be _horrified_ to see what we read to our children!" She smiled "They do get their fill of children's books, too-"Goodnight Moon", "On the Night You Were Born", "It's Time to Sleep, My Love"...They especially love that book that Claire got them, 'The Emperor's Egg'. At this age all they care about is that we're talking to them, though they do like your papers better than mine." I replied "No they don't." She sat up "Yes, they do. They _love_ the sound of your voice. You could read the phone book to them and they'd love it...Hell, you could read the phone book to _me_ and I'd love it! I do have a paper that they will love more than all of yours, though." I smiled and said in a mock serious, scholarly tone "Oh, and what might that be, Professor Ellingham?" She pulled it up on her tablet and said "Scoreboard!" I looked at the title of it and started laughing "Is this_ real_?" She laughed "Yes it is!" I kissed her "You win! Could you print this out? Arjan might find it interesting..." It was a paper entitled "_Pressures produced when penguins pooh—calculations on avian defecation_" She giggled "It has_ everything_ they're interested in-they like their penguin stuffed animals and, _ye gods_, do those two do like to pooh! I think they compete to see who can leave their momma the biggest pantload. See...It even has a _drawing_ of a penguin. You try topping _that_, Dr. Ellingham!"

Our scholarly discussion on the nature and rate of speed of defecation of the Pygoscelids was interrupted by Katie's phone ringing. She sighed when she saw who it was-it was Don. "They're probably wondering how you're doing." I said "Let me answer it." She handed the phone to me "Hello, Don." Don replied "Hello, Martin! I was just calling to see what you four were up to. How are _you_ feeling?" Katie made the motion of casting a lure into the pool and reeling in a fish, sign language that Don was on a 'fishing expedition'. I smiled and tickled her which made her giggle "I'm fine...Katie's fine...The twins are fine. They're napping at the moment and we're discussing the findings of a scholarly work entitled "_Pressures produced when penguins pooh—calculations on avian defecation"._ Even Katie could hear Don laughing and it took some time before he could speak "_WHAT?!_ You've _got_ to be kidding! Someone _actually_ wrote a paper on that?" I replied "Yes." Don took a breath after his bout of laughter "Anyway, the reason why I called was to see of you four wanted to come over for lunch. We're leaving for Galveston after and won't be back until tomorrow afternoon. We're staying at Danny's beach house overnight; it saves us from having to drive all the way back here after the parade and party." I replied "Let me ask Katie, but I doubt it. The twins become rather cross if they're woken up from their nap. Please hold..." I looked at Katie and said "Don wants us to come over for lunch before they leave for Galveston. Do you want to go?" She replied "The twins will be royally grumpy for the rest of the day if we wake them, especially to take them somewhere in the car. I have an idea...they could come over here. I could whip something up for lunch. I just did the shopping and we have plenty of stuff." She caressed my face "It's up to _you_, babycakes." I thought about it for a moment then said to Don "Katie had an idea. Why don't you four come over here for lunch? That way we won't have to wake up their royal highnesses and jostle them around." Don said in a soft tone "Are _you_ sure?" I said "Yes, it will be fine." He replied "Let me ask...just a second." I head him put the phone up to his chest to muffle the sound, I knew it was his chest because I could hear his heart beating and analyzed the sound-not bad for his age. He came back on and said "We'd be pleased to join you for lunch. When do you want us to come over?" I said "Anytime you wish." With that we said goodbye and hung up.

Katie thought for a moment then said "I could make Chicken or Shrimp Minnelli-that shrimp I marinated would be perfect with it...I can make a nice salad for a side...I don't have any fresh baked bread but I could pull some par baked mini pan biga's out of the freezer and they'll be fine...The fruit salad we had for breakfast would do splendidly as a dessert...Oh, it has Grande Marnier in it, will that be OK for your parents? The alcohol should've evaporated by now and it was just a splash for flavor. All in all it should take me about 30-45 minutes to prepare." I thought to myself as she listed the menu off how lucky I was to have her; she is a magician in the kitchen...and just about _everywhere_ else. "That sounds wonderful! I think the fruit salad will be OK for them, the alcohol in the liqueur should be gone by now." She kissed me and looked into my eyes "Are _you_ going to be OK with this?" I hugged her "Yes, I will be fine." She smiled and got up "Well, I'd better start on it. When are they coming?" I got up and helped her pick up the items we brought outside "I'd guess they'll be here in less than a half an hour. I'll put these away, tidy up the house and set the table." With that we kissed and went our separate ways.

The doorbell rang just as I was finishing up and I went to answer it. Before I did I looked the house over once more to see if I'd missed anything, I hadn't. I felt no need to center my chi, it was already centered. I opened the door and greeted our guests "Good afternoon, please come in and make yourselves comfortable." I observed that they all were trying to judge how I was. Don and Ruth both smiled as they came through, Ruth gave me a slight squeeze on the arm as she passed. My parents stood there, their expressions a mix of emotions and they looked quite stressed. "Please come in, mother and father, you are quite welcome here." My father was pleasantly shocked and tears started to run down his face. My mother did something she had _never_ done before in my life-she hugged me and started to cry! "Oh, Martin..._we're so sorry...thank you...thank you_..." I was shocked and stunned...it felt _strange_. Once I got over the initial shock I gave her a hug back "Shhhh...It's alright...don't cry..." I took my handkerchief out of my pocket and handed it to her and she smiled and dried her tears. My mother released me and went in to join Don and Ruth, my father put his handkerchief in his pocket and shook my hand. "Thank you, son..._I'm so sorry...so very sorry..."_ I put my hand on his shoulder "It's over...it's now in the remote past of distant memory...let it all stay there..." he smiled and said "Shakespeare was right; _'The quality of mercy tis mightiest in the mightiest'_. I paraphrase here but you get the gist of it." I nodded and replied "My wife quoted me that very passage the other day, let's go join the others." As we walked towards the kitchen he replied "She is a very wise woman." I nodded "Yes...yes, she is."

We arrived to find everyone standing or sitting at the breakfast bar talking and watching Katie cook. My father said "My god, that smells absolutely delightful! What are you making?" She looked up from the double boiler "Thank you for the kind compliment! I'm glad you're both here. What would you like? Prawns or Chicken to go with the Minnelli? I have plenty of both." He asked "Minnelli?" She smiled "its fusilli spirale mixed in a creamy sauce that has garlic, Parmesan, Asigo and Romano cheeses in it. The meats are grilled, sliced and put on top, garnished with fresh shredded Parmesan and Parsley. It's quite good and isn't too heavy, I use half and half instead of heavy cream for the lunch version." We both chose the prawns and she took some out of the fridge to add to stovetop grill. She took the bread out of the oven and placed it on the rack to cool "It'll be ready in about ten minutes if you care to freshen up." I asked "What can I do to help?" She smiled "Could you find out what everyone would like to drink with lunch and arrange that? After I might need some help carrying everything in. Thanks, sweetie!"

We sat down to an excellent lunch and the conversation flowed a bit more freely then it had last night. My father asked if he could come down to the hospital for a tour, I replied "On Monday and Tuesday morning I'll be in theatre. I might be going sooner if a donor heart becomes available for one of my patients. If that occurs would you like to scrub in and observe?" He smiled like a kid invited to ransack a candy store "I'd be delighted to! Are you doing more cardiothoracic work now or pure vascular?" I replied "It depends on the situation but I find that I'm doing more CT at the moment...it varies. One of the nice things about being a department head is that I can choose what I want to do, most of the procedures I do are for teaching or mentoring purposes and to keep my hand in. If there is an interesting or challenging case I sometimes will take the lead on that on and, of course, if there is something that's really tricky from a vascular aspect that requires my skill set I get called in on those. I like what I'm doing because I'm afforded the opportunity to work across disciplines and it isn't an endless stream of bypasses, stents and shunts. If there is a really ugly trauma case that comes in Karl will call me in on it because I can handle the both the general and CVT aspects of them well under great pressure. I'm finding that I'm actually enjoying trauma surgery, it's an interesting challenge that stretches my abilities and knowledge to the limit."

I looked at Katie and said "Oh, before I forget...I know you're going with Claire and the team for your first stick practice on Sunday. I might need you to come back if I get the call on that heart." She replied "No problem! Why don't you come with us? That way if you _do_ have to leave I'll be there to take care of the twins. It'll be faster, it takes me about a half an hour to get all my gear off and that doesn't include a shower or anything else. All in all it'd take me a little over an hour to get home. If you're there it'd take you about 30 minutes to get back into town." I took a sip of tea "That's a good idea...hopefully the twins will think so, too. It might be too cold in there for them." She laughed "They'll be fine! They're half Alaskan, you know. It's in their blood." My mother was perplexed and asked "Stick practice?" I replied "Katie and Claire have organized a hospital Ice Hockey team to play in the city league. They've been waiting for Katie to be cleared to play; she's the team's goalie. Ryan and Matsuko cleared her last week as long as she takes it easy the first few weeks. I'm _not_ especially happy about this..." Katie giggled and said "Will you quit worrying, hun...I'm_ not_ going to get hurt. We're not playing 'Old Tyme Hockey', after all! I'll be wearing pro pads and those guys can't hit a puck as hard as the pros do, I probably won't even feel it most of the time. I have a pro mask with extra padding in it, Ryan's looked at it and he says it's OK and he's the one who had his fingers poking around in my brain. I'm also playing on a team that is chock full of surgeons and specialists." She took my hand "Honey, I love you to teeny tiny bits! You're a _great doctor_, but you're not _my doctor_ and_ my doctors_ have cleared me to play. _So there!"_ Ruth had her 'I'm enjoying the vicarious entertainment so I'm going to stir up the pot' grin on her face and said "I'm detecting a bit of..." We both looked at her and said "_Zip it_, Ruth!" and we all laughed. Don said "You should tell them the name of the team, I saw the jerseys that you and Claire designed-they're hilarious!" Katie replied "Our team is called the 'Cereal Killers'-cereal as in breakfast food, not serial as in sequential. One of every kid's favorite cereals here is called 'Frosted Flakes', the mascot for that is cartoon character called 'Tony the Tiger'. We all grew up eating that cereal and seeing the commercials with Tony the Tiger in them. Our logo is a stylized Tony the Tiger wearing an old style hockey mask running with a bloody chainsaw. We'll probably get a 'cease and desist' letter from Kellogg's soon..."

The time passed swiftly as we found ourselves becoming more comfortable with each other. Don looked at his watch and said "We'd better be going soon. It'll take about an hour to get to Danny's beach house then we have to get ready for the party." As they were preparing to leave my phone rang, it was the hospital. I excused myself for a moment and stepped outside to take the call. It was Dr. den Beste, one of the interns assigned to my transplant case. "Good afternoon, Michael. What can I do for you?" He said in a barely contained excited tone "We've got a heart, Dr. Ellingham! The harvest team has already collected it and it's on its way here from Corpus Christi. They should be here in about 90 minutes. I've called the rest of the team in. They're either already here or on their way and we're currently prepping the patient for surgery. OR2 is ready to go." I replied "Good. I'm on my way. I should be there in about a half an hour." I sighed and went back inside. I gave Katie a kiss "I've got to go, sweetheart...we've got a heart. I'm sorry; I really wanted to spend the day relaxing with you and the twins." She stood up and gave me a hug "It's alright; we'll be here when you come home. I'll leave a light on for you if I go to sleep before you get home." I looked at my father and said "If you want to come with you're welcome to, it's your decision. I'm going to change into some scrubs." I ran upstairs and quickly changed into scrubs, lab coat and clogs. On the way back down I stopped by the nursery and looked in on the twins. They were all swaddled up in the 'we're here' t-shirts and sleeping, dreaming happy dreams judging by the smiles on their faces while they slept. I thought to myself that Katie did come up with a brilliant idea with those, these two always sleep well and wake up happy. They are _so_ beautiful...I gently kissed both of them and quietly left their room. On the way down I heard my mother say "You go and have a good time, Christopher. I'll be fine. I guess I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, then." I heard Don say "Where do you want me to put this, Katie?" She replied "Just set it down anywhere, I'll put it in his room."

I walked over to where they were standing; Don said "Well, I feel badly that we're all running off on you Katie..." She smiled "I'll be fine, those two will be waking up soon and we'll go have some fun in the park. You drive safely and all of you have a good time down in Galveston." She hugged and kissed me "Good luck, babycakes! I'll see you two later tonight." I replied "We should be home before you go to bed, I'm not expecting any complications on this one but you know how it goes." I looked at my father and said "Ready to go?" He nodded and with that we all went our separate ways.


	94. Chapter 94: Adventures in Suturing

**_Chapter 94: Adventures in Suturing_**

"This is nice..._very nice_. I had no idea they pay so well over here" my father said as he got into my car. I started the car and pushed the button to open the garage door "Actually it's about 10% more then I would've earned if I'd taken the job at Imperial. The difference is that taxation is much lower and the cost of living in general is much lower than living in London. This house was about 100,000 pounds cheaper than the flat I had in Kensington and is five times bigger. I didn't buy this car, by the way. Katie gave it to me as a wedding gift." My father looked very surprised "Oh! I had no idea being a pilot paid so well." The light changed and I turned onto Main Street "The kind of flying she does pays exceptionally well, but it's very dangerous and there are few who can do it. I'm glad she isn't doing it anymore; I don't think I could take the strain of constantly worrying about her. The day of the plant explosion _everyone_ saw her helicopter go down but no one knew if she was alive or dead for over 5 hours due to the smoke, flames and general chaos. I found it very difficult to concentrate on my duties during that time. They kept on showing the video of it _over and over_ again..." My father was shocked "What happened?" I told him the story of that day to which he replied "I remember seeing that. They _did_ run the video of it a lot on the BBC. It's amazing that she survived and wasn't seriously injured." I smiled "Her and her brother joke about it. It seems that both of them have crashed news helicopters and walked away from it. Get those two together and you're bound to hear some _very interesting_ stories, especially the ones John doesn't dare tell while she's within earshot!"

I pulled into my parking spot and we made our way to the surgical wing. Once there we went to the locker room. I opened my locker "You'll find the scrubs, caps and clogs over on the rack. Our scrubs are color coded according to duty. I'd suggest a set of black. Don't grab the green ones unless you want to be mistaken for a nurse and for god's sake don't put on a set of pink ones unless you want to spend the afternoon as a baby catcher! Come out to the nurses' station when you're ready." I was reviewing the current estimated arrival time of the harvest team, patient's chart and current vitals when my father came out dressed in black. I noted that his demeanor had changed...once a surgeon, always a surgeon. I had placed Claire on the admin rota for this weekend to give her experience in management and administration so I was not a bit surprised to hear the familiar 'Call of the Claire' as we reviewed the patient's notes "Doctor E. is in the howwwssseeee!" She walked over and said "Everything's ready to go, I made sure the kiddies didn't screw up the prep..._hey_, who's the 'FNG'?" I said "Good afternoon, Claire. The 'FNG' is my father, or in your terms '5 of 7'. He will be observing." I introduced them to each other, once done he asked "5 of 7?" I explained it to him and he asked "Who's number seven?" I smiled "James. He seems to have inherited the 'surgeon' gene. It remains to be seen of there will be an eight or nine, it's hard to tell with a two month old." Then he asked what an 'FNG' is and I explained that, he laughed "There's quite a different atmosphere here than in Britain, very casual."

Once the harvest team had arrived with the donor heart we went off to the theatre to scrub. We both scrubbed in silence and looked out the window. Everything was in order and everyone waiting. My mantra of _"Respice post te! Hominem te esse memento! Memento mori!" _was repeating inside my head and I was visualizing the task ahead and possible complications. There should be none but I have to be prepared for them if there are. We walked in and were gowned, gloved and louped. I said to the team "Good afternoon, everyone. This is my father, Dr. Christopher Ellingham, he will be observing today." I walked over to the patient "Good afternoon, Mr. Anderson. Ready for a new heart?" He smiled "I've been ready for the last two years!" I replied "Any questions before we begin?" "Nope! You've been quite thorough in explaining it all to me and the complications that might arise. I'm good to go!" I said "Good. Then we'll begin..." I nodded to Dr. Miller, the cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, and she started to put the patient under. When she indicated that the patient was ready I held out my hand and said "Start the clock, 22 blade..." The scalpel hit my hand and I made a vertical inline incision to start the median sternotomy, once the sternum was exposed I said to Dr. den Beste "Think you can handle the saw well enough to crack the sternum?" His eyes widened "Yes, sir!" I replied "Then do so." He did a very good job and was very cool under pressure. Once the retractors were in place and the pericardium pierced we began to cannulate both venae cavae and the ascending aorta. After that was done Dr. Miller placed the patient on bypass and we began to remove the heart. There was moderate scarring which complicated matters some, this was not unexpected and I'd factored in the time required to deal with it. While we were doing this I asked Dr. den Beste to explain to my father why we were using a modified bicaval anastomosis technique. He did a very good job in doing so and I could tell from the tone of my father's voice as he questioned Dr. den Beste that he was enjoying himself.

Once the patient's heart was removed I examined the vessels and cuffs to ensure they were in good condition then we placed the donor heart in. It was an excellent fit and didn't need much in the way of repositioning and trimming. As I worked I explained the suture technique I was using to Dr. den Beste and why I was using it on this patient. It is a modified technique that uses all everting sutures between donor and recipients caval veins. As We worked I told my father about James's 'adventures in suturing'. "Claire and Chandra gave him a bag full of suture kits to take home so he could keep practicing his sutures, which led to _many_ questions and answers at the security checkpoint at the airport. When he got home no banana was safe in the Melbury house after that..well, until he ran out of suture kits. One morning I received a _very_ exasperated call from Louisa. Apparently our son had done what I feared he might. She said that Stephan had just called her to tell her that the banana she had packed in his lunch had _no_ banana in it! She wasn't very happy about this because Stephan had rang her to tell her that he had no banana for lunch-instead he had a very neatly sutured, but empty, banana skin. I started to laugh as she told me what had happened which only served to exasperate her more. I didn't make her happy when I told her 'Look on the bright side, at least our son sews better than you do.' In retrospect that probably wasn't the _best__ thing_ to say to her at the time...I had partial hearing in that ear for the rest of the morning."

"He also 'operated' on his sister's stuffed animal, her teddy bear's left arm was about to fall off and he stitched it back on using 8-0 clear Ethilon with a BV130-4 needle which I thought was a pretty good choice for that situation from the suture kits he had left over. He had described his 'operation' to me and had even recorded it. I asked him for a copy and told him I would critique it for him. He did quite well-he had created a 'sterile work environment' by clearing everything off his desk and laying a tea towel on it. He draped the 'patient' properly using a handkerchief and 'anesthetized' the patient with a toy tea cup over its nose. He had 'scrubbed' with hand sanitizer and tied a handkerchief around his face as a 'mask'. He did have some 'complications' because the fabric was frayed at one point and was hard to keep the stitches in place. He cut a little strip of adhesive tape and carefully placed it on the inside of the fabric to reinforce it without it being visible on the outside then sutured that part up which I thought was quite an inventive way of handling the situation. When he had it stitched up he carefully repositioned the stuffing by gently kneading the arm back into shape." Everyone laughed as I recounted these stories and my father said "Sounds like he did inherit the 'surgeon' gene. Have you two selected the schools he will attend? The right school is important..." I replied "He's going to go to the schools his mother selects for him. I suspect he will stay within the Cornish school system-none of us want to send him off to boarding school, especially after what happened last year." My father asked what had happened to which I replied "It's too long of a story to recount here, I will tell you later." I didn't want to get into that at the moment, I needed to concentrate at on the task at hand and needed to keep my mind calm and focused.

When everything was in order and the heart warmed and reoxygenated I gave it a slight thump on the sinoatrial node to see if it would wake up on its own. It woke up quite nicely, no v-fib but it did take a minute or so to settle into a natural rhythm. As we were weaning the patient off of bypass we observed the heart itself to ensure it was functioning properly then double and triple checked the sutures were to make sure they were holding and there were no leaks. I showed Dr. den Beste how to run the wires for a temporary pacemaker if it was needed then I told him that he could close. He was about to start to close the patient and I said "Aren't you forgetting something, Dr. den Beste?" I watched his eyes; I could tell he was mentally running through the checklist on closing a median sternotomy. "Um...oh! Check for stray swabs and instruments! I'm sorry, Dr. Ellingham! I'll do that immediately!" I glanced over at my father; there was a trace of a smile in his eyes. He had taught enough overeager junior house officers to understand that in situations such as this they are like excited children and tend to be forgetful of the small, but very important, things. Dr. den Beste had put many hours in at the skills lab in preparation for this procedure and it showed, he did an excellent job at closing. I looked at the clock when he was finished; the procedure had lasted a little over five hours. Not bad all things considered. The nurses wheeled Mr. Anderson to the ICU and we went to change into fresh scrubs. My father said "I haven't been in theatre in a very long time and I enjoyed it immensely! Thank you for letting me observe. You did an outstanding job not only on the procedure itself but in teaching that young doctor." I replied as I put my used scrubs and clogs in their bins "You're quite welcome. I thought you might enjoy it. I still have patient notes and other paperwork to fill out while I wait for Mr. Anderson to wake up, I usually go up to my office to make an espresso then come back down and fill them out while waiting. Want to come along?" He replied "Yes, an espresso would be lovely! Thank you!" We walked over to the nurses' station, Dr. den Beste was there filling out his paperwork. "Michael, I'm going up to my office for a minute. Page me if needed." He looked up from his work "Yes, Dr. Ellingham." With that we headed off to my office.

"My legs have forgotten how large hospitals like this can be..." I stopped "Do you need to rest?" He smiled "No, I'm fine. It feels good to walk after standing for so long." I replied "We're almost there; it's just around the corner." We arrived and I unlocked the door to the outer office. "Here we are. It'll take a couple of minutes for the machine to warm up..." I turned it on then unlocked my office and we entered it. I walked over to my desk and turned on the computer then brought up the readout of Mr. Anderson's monitors and chart, everything was stable. "My lord, I wish we had things like this when I was doing surgery!" I pulled my tablet out of my lab coat pocket "We can monitor any patient from anywhere. On items like this tablet or on a phone, I can also access this from home. It's quite helpful. I can also locate anyone I need to..." I touched the icon for Claire "For example, if I want to know where Claire is I just touch this and it tells me where she is and what she's doing if she is in theatre. Right now she has left for the day; she was done at 3pm. You will note that it indicates to me which attending or resident is on premises from CVT-There's me, Dr. Oxman and Dr. Shinawatra who are two of my residents. It also shows who is on call-once again there's me, Dr. Jarvis and Dr. Jamal. I'm always on call unless I'm not in town." He replied "What an excellent tool that is!"

As he sat down he looked around the office and saw the photos on my desk and credenza and asked to see them. I picked them up and handed them to him. "Interesting...none of these are formal photos." I smiled "No...They are meant not only to show me those who I love but evoke pleasant or important memories of them. The one of James was taken on our last walk on the cliff path before I left Port Wenn, the one of Katie in the wetsuit was taken on the day she taught me to scuba dive. The silhouette was taken by her brother John on the day I learned to Kitesurf. All were _very pleasant_ days for me. The one of the twins I just added, they always giggle and smile when I greet them after coming home from work." He sighed and his eyes started to mist up "Seeing these reminds me of what a _total and complete failure_ I am as a man..._I'm so very sorry_...Mind if I ask a personal question?" I took a moment and mentally steeled myself for it then said "Go ahead. If it's too personal I'll refuse to answer it. I won't be angry or upset at you for asking it, though. I just won't answer it." He sighed "I'm finding it hard to believe that you could forgive us and I'm a bit shocked that you are treating us so nicely. I'd fully expected you to banish us from your home and life." I looked at him "As you pointed out my wife is very wise. One of the most valuable things I've learned from her is that forgiveness is not about the person you are forgiving, _it's all about you_. Once you can forgive those who have harmed you it allows you to let go of all the negative emotions associated with that person, let go of the past and move forward to become who you were meant to be. It took me some time to do it but when I finally reached the point where I could it was a great relief. As I said the other night it is all in the remote past of distant memory. It's now little more than dry ink on a page in the dusty book of our lives, a chapter that ended long ago and is history. We've all changed into people that those in that book would not recognize. Let's let it all stay there in that book, put it on the shelf and move forward." He smiled "It seems that you have achieved something rare...something that very few ever become. You have become a _very wise man_." I looked past him and out at the brightly lit skyline "It took me many years and moving away from Britain to finally be able to do it. I had to change everything in my life and my attitudes towards them. It's been a difficult process and I do feel like I have achieved some wisdom. But I now understand enough to know that I am not truly a wise man. No mortal man or woman ever achieves true wisdom."


	95. Chapter 95: Family Matters

**_Chapter 95: Family Matters _**

The rest of my parents visit went quite smoothly, all things considered. My father and I spent a lot of time together; he really enjoyed being at the hospital and seeing what I was working on in the lab. He spent part of one day with Chandra observing and discussing some of the newer techniques used in general surgery, which used to be his field of specialty. My mother had met some of the wives of the members of the board and of CEO's of some rather large corporations and they had invited her to attend a charity luncheon and fashion show, which used to be _her field_ of specialty. The four of them attended a few more parties and charity events. They also spent a day out at Danny's ranch-he was throwing a huge party in the evening which they enjoyed immensely. They had invited us to go out to Danny's with them with them but we declined-at the moment we're somewhat 'housebound' caring for William and Elizabeth. They both aren't overly fond of their car seats and seem to view them as medieval torture devices after an hour or so. We had them over a couple of times for dinner and to spend the evening where they met Peter and Minh. My parents were quite impressed by the both of them.

Ruth stopped by my office the morning my father was with Chandra and my mother was off at the luncheon she had been invited to. We spent the time alone discussing the situation between my parents and me and our lives in general. She told me that she was quite pleased about how things appeared to be going but added "All of you are learning who you are _now_. As you grow more comfortable with each other there will come a time where you three will be able to discuss and deal with the past. You have done well in putting it to rest but they haven't yet. They still have a great deal of remorse about it, but don't know how to express it to you without causing _you_ more pain. They are afraid to right now and, quite frankly, they are intimidated by you. Deep down they still see you as a child because that has been the majority of interaction they have had with you throughout your life. You three avoided each other at all costs during your adult lives and those few times you did interact you let them walk all over you like a door mat. Now they are coming to grips with the fact that you are no longer a child but a very strong, intelligent and successful man-a man who is no longer a door mat but one who is now happy, content and secure in his own skin. They're also having a bit of difficulty in dealing with the fact that you've been married twice and have three children. They thought that you were a loner at best or a closeted 'confirmed bachelor' at worst-sorry, but that is the truth." I shook my head at that last bit of information for it flipped open_ that_ page in the book of my life again. The ink is dry but it's still painful to 'read' what is written there.

I heard Don greet Justine, make an espresso then he walked in and sat down "Well, have you told him the news?" I looked at him "What news?" For once it was Ruth who was finding difficulty expressing herself, which _has_ to be one of the signs of the apocalypse "Um...ah...we've bought a house..." I was enjoying watching _her_ struggle under scrutiny for a change and sat patiently with my own version of her 'I'm enjoying watching_ you_ squirm' smile and my hands folded on my desk waiting for the rest of it. Don laughed "He's a _big boy_, he can take it!" Ruth shot him look that indicated that she _wasn't enjoying_ being the subject of our 'vicarious entertainment'. "We've bought a house outside of Mamhead in Devon to use as a summer home..." Don smiled "We really couldn't pass it up. It's grade II listed and was designed by Robert Adam. The landscaping was designed by Capability Brown. Totally refurbished and modernized while keeping all the character of the original design. 4 bedrooms, all ground floor-which is helpful with our aging knees...climbing stairs is getting to be a real bitch. It even has an open courtyard in the house and a cupola in the dining room. Very rural and private setting, far enough inland so her hair doesn't get lank but still has a distant view of the sea through the forested parkland. On the grounds there is a little lake with a 2 bedroom boat house, perfect for guests and provides both them and us some privacy. There is also a 'summer house' which will make a great studio and office set up. It's 3 hours by train from Paddington and Exeter is about 10 miles away with its airport and other facilities. A nice little getaway from London for her, a great place to spend the summers for us and has enough room for guests."

I had a feeling that there was more to this then_ just_ a summer home so I decided to go on a 'fishing expedition' of my own, before I could Don said "I know what you're thinking...How am I going to be able to spend all summer there? Well...I've just resigned as head of DeBakey and am semi-retiring. I'll still be working there in an advisory capacity but am turning over the day to day operations to Mark Brandford. He'll deal with all the drudgery of paper work and budgets while I spend more time in study, research and advising-those are things that I don't need to be here every day for-I can do most of that from anywhere. The other thing you're wondering is how I can afford something like a grade II listed Robert Adam designed home with Capability Brown landscaping. Well, Jimmy's done wonders with my portfolio over the years plus I've already sold the beach house and am putting my home up for sale. Once that is sold I'm getting a flat in that new highrise off of Kirby. The house has been too much for me since my wife and daughter died. I roll around in it like a pea in a tin can. I only kept it because it was easier to-it's already paid for." I asked Ruth "What about Joan's farm? You could've built a home there-there's enough land to." She replied "It's too far from rail and air connections plus I never really liked living there-it's too close to the sea, too exposed and too windy. In fact I'm letting Al and Paul have the farm with the caveat that if they ever decide to sell it that we have first crack at it, followed by Stephan and Louisa. I know that Joan would be pleased with that decision. Al was a great help to her as he was to me when I took it over after her death. He's running it just as Joan would have liked to see it run-as a working organic farm providing fresh meat and produce to the village and as a B&B. She would also want it to be in the hands of a villager and not becoming just another holiday retreat for some rich people from London or as a rental property." I agreed with her-Joan would've liked that decision.

On the last night they were here we went out to dinner with them. I'd been looking forward to us having a night out on our own because Katie _did_ need a break from everything. Since I'd gone back to work she has borne the majority of the child care and household duties, I try to help as much as I can and have taken over making dinner for us along with helping with the twins and other duties. Once the twins are a bit older so they sleep all night and are weaned it will be easier but for now she is working very hard. I find it amazing-she works hard day and night to keep all of us happy and she hasn't been grumpy or cross once. I told her that and explained how it had been with Louisa and I during the first months of James's life. She replied "That was a hard time for both of you and I'll say no more about it. In our case we both know what needs doing and have our priorities straight. It does help that the twins are really good babies, they're rarely fussy or colicky. Right now I've got a good and efficient routine going with them which will only improve as time goes on."

We asked Peter and Minh if they would mind the twins for a couple of hours so we could go and said they would be happy to. I had expected that Katie would leave them all sorts of instructions because it would be the first time neither one of us would be with them but she didn't. As we drove over to Mark's I mentioned that I was surprised by this and she replied "Peter and Minh live with us, know the twins quite well and know where everything is. The twins love them and are very comfortable with them. If something happens they have our phone numbers and Dr. Deuter's phone number. I expressed two bottles of milk for them if they decide to get hungry before we get home. I'm not worried, are you?" She kissed me and said "If you are we don't have to go." We had stopped at a stop light so I leaned over, nibbled her neck and whispered "I'm not worried...I'm happy we're going to have some time to ourselves." She ran her hand up my thigh "Keep _that_ up and we won't make it to the restaurant, you _nasty man!" _The light turned green "Keep _that_ up and I'll end up crashing the car, _evil woman!"_ She giggled as she tickled the inside of my thigh _"Nasty man!" _It was _very distracting_ so I picked up her hand and placed it on the arm rest "For our safety please do not distract the driver while the vehicle is in motion, _evil woman!"_ She smiled mischievously "I guess nibbling your ear is out of the question, too." I smiled and chuckled "Not until we get home, then you can nibble on whatever you want." That made her laugh "Maple syrup...it's not just for pancakes anymore!" With that comment I wanted to skip dinner and head straight back home for dessert. Oh, it was so _good_ to have her back again!

As we walked into the restaurant I said "You know, I just realized something...Tonight's our first anniversary!" She looked at me somewhat perplexed. "Well, one of them...The lease on your flat ran out a year ago so _technically_ that is when we truly started living together, even though you had moved out long before it was up." She started to laugh "It's our 'shackaversary'!" I put my arms around her and gave her a tender kiss "Happy shackaversary, baby!" We were still laughing about that when we were seated at the table with the others. Don smiled "What are you two laughing about?" That comment sent Katie into a fit of giggles, I tried to keep a straight face but couldn't. She said somewhat breathlessly "It's our shackaversary! A year ago today the lease ran out on _my_ shack so _technically_ that is when I'd truly moved into _his_ shack." Don laughed, Ruth smiled and my parents had a bemused look on their faces. Don asked "I wonder what the proper gift is for a first shackaversary..." Katie smiled and winked "Maple syrup." I could feel my face turning colors. Don and Ruth both laughed, my parents were confused then I could see they finally had figured out what the Maple syrup was for and they started to laugh, too. Ruth said "Oh...I could write a paper on you two!" Katie started to giggle again "You could call it _'Therapeutic uses of maple syrup to physically reinforce a psychological pair bond in non-diabetic patients.'_" Ruth started to smile "Martin, have I ever told you how much I _really_ love her?" I smiled "Many times..."

The waiter came to take our drink orders and hand out the menus. We perused the menus and discussed what we were thinking about having. When the waiter returned I ordered the Tuna, Katie the Beef tenderloin. Don and Ruth both ordered the Lamb. My mother opted for the Veal and my father the Salmon. Once our orders were taken our discussion turned to our various plans for the rest of the year. My father said "Margaret and I are planning to go to Paris for a week in April. It's been a _long time_ since we've been there and there's nothing better than April in Paris. We spent our honeymoon there, you know." Ruth said "Once we get the house set up you two will have to come down for a week or two to Devon. We'll be there all summer unless we go up to London for a couple of days." She looked at my father "You and Don can go knock some golf balls around and Margaret and I can go shopping for items for the house." Don laughed "That sounds _expensive!"_ Ruth smiled "If you want appropriate pieces for the house it can be, but not if you know where to shop. We'll probably take a trip up to London to do so." My mother asked "What are you two going to do for your holiday?" I replied "We're going to Akaroa to pick up the 'Isilme' then sail her to Aitutaki. The Melbury's and James are going to join us there. Well, the plan is they are going to fly to Houston and spend a day or two here then we're going to travel to New Zealand on Peter Crosby's 767 to Christchurch. Katie's brother is CFO for Mr. Crosby and he has to move his 767 to Tahiti at that time so he's going to drop us off in New Zealand then go to Tahiti. It'll be much more comfortable for all of us-we'll have eight children with us, three of which are under a year old. Once there we'll take the boat and sail off and the Melbury's are going to spend a couple of days exploring New Zealand then fly to Aitutaki where we'll pick them up at the airport." My mother was surprised by this "You're going to take your children on a long voyage across the ocean? Isn't that dangerous?" Katie replied "They're in more danger when I drive them to their pediatrician's appointment or to go visit their daddy at work then sailing across the ocean. They've already been in one automobile accident here...and they've already made the journey once, I was pregnant when we went on our honeymoon. Besides, the mere act of living is fraught with perils both great and small."

Our dinners arrived and we tucked into them. As we ate my father commented "I've been reviewing the specs of your sailboat in my mind. Isn't going to be a bit cramped on it with that many people?" Katie smiled "When we're there we don't spend much time on the boat-we're off swimming, snorkeling or Kitesurfing. There is a small island in the lagoon that I usually anchor at, it has plenty of white sand for the older children to play on, the water is shallow so they can swim safely. The worst thing in the water they'd have to worry about is a Lionfish or a Moray Eel and those reside in the deeper waters in the reefs. On land the worst thing on them is a Hermit Crab-so all in all it's pretty safe." She smiled and looked at me "We'll also have one of the best doctors in the world on hand with a fully stocked and equipped GP bag for any mishaps if they occur." Then she laughed "I'm sure James would enjoy some more suturing practice, too!" I smiled and started to turn colors, not because of what she said but because I could feel her foot burrowing under my trousers and caressing my leg while she talked. She continued "Oh, I forgot to tell you...Louisa and I have been discussing our trip and she came up with an excellent idea. She had talked to the older children about it and they really liked the idea, too. What we're going to do is bring a big tent and the older children can 'camp out' on the beach by the boat. It'll be a fun adventure for them and gives us all a little space. They can be noisy kids on the beach and the babies will enjoy the peace and quiet. I've got that REI Kingdom 8 tent that will be perfect for them."

Katie put her hand on Don's and said "Martin tells me that you've resigned as head of DeBakey and are going to run off to Devon on us. This news makes me both happy and sad...William and Elizabeth will miss their 'grandpa' and we'll miss a great friend. I'm really happy for both of you but it won't be the same without you stopping by or seeing you down at the hospital..." Don put his arm around her "I'm still going to be around, sweetie...Just not during the summers or around Christmas. Besides, you have to admit it's a _very nice_ shack!" She nodded "It's a beautiful shack! _I love it,_ it's very unique and the grounds are lovely." Then she giggled "I just thought of the perfect shackwarming gift for you two!" Don knew that particular giggle and knew her mind was up to no good "Maple syrup is the first shackaversary gift, hun." She gasped in faux horror "You, sir, have a dirty mind! Besides, I know that. No, I was thinking of something for your new home...I will have to, of course, consult with Herr Doktor Sechs von Sieben about..." Her eyes bugged out, her face started to turn red and she stopped talking. Don asked "You feeling OK, Katie?" She took a breath, glanced at me then looked at him "Uh...yeah...I'm fine." My wonderful wife had just discovered that _two_ could play the footsie game. Ruth smiled a knowing smile and shook her head _"You two..." _She looked at my parents and could tell they were perplexed "Your son and his wife are playing footsie under the table." I slid my shoe back on and calmly said "I have no idea what you're talking about." Katie smiled sweetly and said "Me either." Ruth looked at both of us "Uh huh..." My parents looked at us with surprised, bemused faces and my mother said to me "You're _so different _now..."

My father decided to change the subject and said "We've already planned to spend next Christmas together at their home in Devon, perhaps you four could join us? We could celebrate both Christmas and William and Elizabeth's first birthday together." I looked at Katie and I could tell that she liked the idea "We'll have to discuss it but if we can we will try to. I can't remember the last time I spent a Christmas doing anything but working at a hospital or making house calls...I think the last time was when I was at university and Chris invited me to spend the holiday with his family in Ilfracombe." My mother asked Katie "What were Christmases like in your family? I'd imagine it would be quite different than a traditional English Christmas." She told them about how her family spent Christmas, as she recounted how she and her father spent their Christmases after her mother died the expressions on my parent's faces became quite sad. My mother said after she finished "That must've been very sad for you knowing that other children were laughing and playing with their new toys while you're flying around in the bitter cold with your father." She smiled "No, it wasn't sad for me. I enjoyed it because it taught me that Christmas is about the simple, but important, things in life-family and of giving the gift of love. I was with my father-we loved each other and loved flying. We gave each other simple gifts that we made ourselves and we both gave the gift of service to others who were in need. Our Christmas dinners may not have been fancy six course meals on fine china but we had them in the most magnificent of settings. There is nothing more beautiful than the light of the Aurora turning the snow into a field of softly glowing jewels and turning the snow on the branches of the trees into the most enchanting of Christmas decorations. The air would be filled the subtle scents of Fir trees and the snow. Sparkles of color would be floating in the air from the ice crystals and our breath would become small, opalescent clouds. There is no Christmas carol that is more haunting or spiritual than hearing the howls of the wolves and the hoots of the Owls echo through the forest. We'd give gifts to the animals, too. We would leave them food-some fish, Moose or Caribou meat for the carnivores and well away from the meat some seeds, popcorn and hay for the herbivores and birds. My father would always carve a small crèche to leave by those gifts. No..._I didn't miss out on a thing_...in fact I feel sorry for all those families who that think that Christmas is little more than stuffing their faces and a looting spree. They are the ones who are truly missing the point." Everyone was silent when she finished, they were all out on the Aurora bejeweled snows of Alaska in their minds. One of the things I discovered very early on is my wife can paint the most vivid of verbal pictures and she had just painted a masterpiece. Don broke the silence and said softly "I would _love_ to see something like that." Katie replied "It's fairly easy to do though you aren't guaranteed you'll see the Aurora. Look up a place in Alberta called Chateau Lake Louise when you get home. You'd be quite comfortable there and would get a taste of it. I think you would enjoy it."

It was getting late. Tomorrow Ruth and my parents would be going back to Britain and needed to get some sleep and we needed to get back home to the twins so we bade each other a good night and headed home. As we drove home we discussed the idea of going over to Devon for Christmas. Katie said "I know your Christmas tradition has been to work for others as it had been mine. Maybe this year it might be good to take a break from that and spend it with your parents and Aunt Ruth. They aren't getting any younger and I get the feeling that it would make all of them _very_ happy. We can pick the tradition back up next year. When William and Elizabeth get older I'd like us to keep our tradition and make it a family one, it would be a good tradition for them to learn." I thought about it "Maybe we could do a compromise, one year working and one year spending the holiday as a family. Perhaps go up to that place you told Don about or go to spend it with Ruth, Don and my parents. Or we could have them come over and spend it with us. If we went to Britain we might be able to have James with us for part of it, too. It would depend on what Louisa and James decide but I don't think they'd have a problem with it, though James may wish to stay with his family..." Katie reached over and caressed my face "Sweetheart...James loves and absolutely _worships_ you! I know that you constantly fret that you two will grow apart because of the distance but I have _no fears_ about that, _neither does Louisa_. I think that if he had a chance to he would love to spend Christmas with his daddy and Louisa and Stephan would be delighted to let him do so. They know how much you love him...and how much you worry about being so far away from him." I sighed "I hope he does _know_..." She leaned over and kissed me "Trust me, my love...he _knows_. He _loves_ you!" She kissed me again "I love you, too!" When I had to stop at a stop light I leaned over and kissed her "I love you so..."

We arrived home to find Peter and Minh cuddling William and Elizabeth. From the empty baby bottles on the coffee table we surmised that they had wanted their bedtime snack. I said "We're sorry; we thought we'd be home much earlier than this! Thank you so much for taking care of them." Minh replied "It was our pleasure, you two have been so nice to us it was the least we could do! I hope you had a good time, you two needed to get out of the house and have a 'date night'. Anyway...they've been little angels all evening so we got a lot of our homework done while they slept. They only woke up about 45 minutes ago. We've fed them, winded them and changed them." Katie smiled and held out two Styrofoam containers "Taking care of little babies is hard work so we decided to bring you a treat. We tried to think of what you might like from the dessert menu that was transportable and brought you a Coffee Toffee and a Blueberry Mascarpone Tart. I had the Coffee Toffee and it rocks! Don had the tart and he said it was delicious and I know both of you love Blueberries. I hope you like them." Peter smiled as he traded Elizabeth off to me and took the cartons "Thank you! Those do sound good!" As he opened them he asked me "What did you have for dessert? There was a glint in his eye as he asked, fully expecting me to say I didn't have one because of the 'useless calories'. "I was full so I gave it a pass. The Crème Brûlèe did look good, though." He was surprised "You actually _thought _about having a dessert? The world must be ending soon..." I smiled and said nothing. He had no idea that I was having dessert..._later_. Katie had taken William off of Minh's hands so she and Peter could have their dessert. They took the cartons and went off to the kitchen to eat them while we cuddled the twins. Elizabeth opened one sleepy eye and gave me a smile then went back to sleep. I kissed her gently "Sleep well, sweetheart. Mummy and daddy love you..." William woke up and smiled a big smile when he saw it was his mother that was cuddling him, then he sighed and closed his eyes. She kissed his forehead and said "Sweet dreams, my little angel...we love you." I whispered "We should take them upstairs and put them to bed." She nodded in agreement and we both got up. We walked to the kitchen and thanked Peter and Minh again for minding the twins and said good night to them then went upstairs. After they were tucked in we went to our room. I headed for the bathroom while Katie turned down the sheets. When I came back out I held up the bottle of Maple syrup and smiled "It's time for my dessert..." She smiled and tried to take the bottle from me, I held it up so she couldn't reach it. "You've already had _your_ dessert, young lady, and I'm feeling rather peckish!"


	96. Chapter 96: Oxford Circus

**_Chapter 96: Oxford Circus_**

James and I had arrived in London an hour ago and had a few hours to spare before our flight to Houston. On the train to London I asked him what he might want to do to pass the time until our flight and he said that he'd like to get the twins a present. It would be the first time he saw them and he wanted to make sure he had a gift for them. We stored our luggage at the left luggage office then hopped on the tube to Oxford Circus.

As we rode along I thought about what had happened on my short stay in Port Wenn. It had been my first trip back there since last year and nothing much had changed around there physically, the attitudes of the villagers and the way they treated me had _radically_ changed. It was strange...I didn't hear one 'tosser' cast in my direction and everyone called me either sir, Dr. Ellingham or Martin-not _one_ 'Doc Martin'. Even the giggling gaggle of teenaged girls were rather respectful and greeted me kindly. I thought there might be something wrong with the water again and was going to mention it to George so he could have it tested but Louisa and Stephan laughed when I'd mentioned that. Louisa said "Martin, you are now a local hero. I know you'll find that hard to believe but it's true. What you did for us last year has had a ripple effect within the community. The county government had contemplated closing the school after I'd resigned as headmistress-they couldn't find anyone qualified to take the position until Stephan applied. So the school has stayed open. The child care center and the training it's providing has created a lot of badly needed jobs and is bringing in business from the surrounding communities. In fact we're doing so well we're not only contemplating opening a branch of the child care center in Delabole but we're thinking of opening a 'nanny school' to teach young women _and men_ how to be proper nannies. I don't know if you're aware of it but being a nanny can pay quite well depending on their training. That will lose us some residents of the village because those jobs are mostly in London but the money they send home will help keep their families afloat here and less dependent on the tourist trade or fishing. It will mean that some will be able to pay off their fishing boats and homes or keep their businesses afloat when times are tough. What Ruth did for Al and Paul impressed the people around here and that has had a ripple effect, too. Now that they're out from under their mortgage they are thinking of opening a riding stable and providing horse trekking tours. The government is going to put in a bridleway alongside the coastal path and their farm would be a perfect starting or way point for it. That will add new jobs and bring additional income into the community. All of these things are happening thanks to you and Ruth and the people here _know_ it-you two have made it possible for many to stay here in the place they love."

We arrived at Oxford Circus tube station. I smiled and took James's hand and we got up and stepped out onto the platform. It was close to lunchtime and the platform was quite crowded. James said "I need to tie my shoe, daddy." We found a little space close to the wall away from the crowd and I stooped down to tie his shoe for him. As I did so a there was a blinding flash of light and a sound that was so powerful that I didn't hear it as much as _felt it_ resounded through the platform. It was immediately followed by a rush of hot air, smoke, flame and debris that pushed me into James and knocked us both over. I fell on top of him and felt great pain as the flying debris battered me. I instinctively clutched James for dear life and tried to protect him as best I could, in my mind were two words-terrorist attack.


	97. Chapter 97: please go be brave

**_Chapter 97: please...go...be...brave..._**

The acrid smoke was thick and the light dim. I saw small fires and body parts dotting the platform and the platform itself was a maelstrom of chaos and panic. I will never forget the sounds of the screams...

I rolled off of James to see if he was alright, as I did so I couldn't help but let out a moan of pain. James's eyes were wide in terror and he was in shock. I did my best to see if he had been injured and was relived to find that he seemed fine outside of his shocked state. I couldn't do a complete exam of him because of the pain. I assessed my own injuries as best I could, it was excruciatingly painful for me to move, my head was pounding. My back hurt and it felt like I'd been hit by a rather large piece of debris on my left side. I knew my left shoulder was dislocated which rendered that arm useless and was causing me great pain. I had mostly minor cuts and contusions from what I could see but judging by the pain in my left calf and the moistness that made my trousers stick to my leg I guessed I had a rather large and deep wound down there. I tried to look but couldn't manage it. I was relieved when I felt my left leg with my right foot. My left leg was intact, for a moment I'd thought I might have lost part of it.

James was starting to get over his initial shock and said in a trembling voice "Wha...what happened, daddy..." I said to him as calmly as I could "I think there has been a big explosion. How do you feel? Are you in any pain?" He shook his head "No...not really. It did hurt when you fell on me but I'm OK." I tried to smile "That's very good, I'm so glad! Now...first of all I need you to remain calm. We'll be OK. Next, I need you to do something for me. I need you to look at my body and tell me what you see. I can't move very well." He slowly got up and started to look "Oh, daddy! You're bleeding really bad from your leg! Your clothes are all cut up and burned." I smiled at him in an effort to keep him calm and said "OK...now I need you to do something else for me. First, do you see anything sticking into me like a piece of glass or metal?" He looked and said "No, but you have a lot of cuts." I smiled "That's very good. Next, I need you to very gently run your hand slowly down my left side. If I cry out in pain do not be alarmed or feel bad that you hurt me. I need you to do this-it will help me determine how badly I'm injured. You think you can do this for me?" He nodded and started to run his hand gently along my ribcage, I let out a yelp of pain when he got to the area of the fifth rib. This startled him and he was starting to cry, the one thing I could _not_ afford in this situation is for him to start to panic so I tried to reassure him. "It's alright, son. It just hurts...that's all. Keep going..." He calmed down and kept going. Judging by the pain I'd been hit by something and that had cracked or broken my ribs from the fifth to the eighth rib. I thought about the organs and vessels in the area that might be affected-spleen, pancreas, stomach, kidney. Not bad, I thought, nothing that can't be fixed. It did explain the growing onset of symptoms that told me I was bleeding internally along with the blood loss from the cut on my leg and would soon go into hemorrhagic shock.

I knew that soon I would lose consciousness so I said to James. "James, I need you to be _very brave_. There is _nothing_ you can do for me and I can't move to help you. Soon I will lose consciousness. The smoke and fire are getting worse. I need you to leave me and get out of here. I need you to save yourself! Take my handkerchief out of my pocket and tie it around your nose and mouth so you don't breathe in too much smoke. Use the little torch Katie gave you. Follow the maps to the escalators and go outside. Find a policeman or woman and tell them your father is injured on the platform and you're all alone. In my right coat pocket is my phone. Take it with you. When you get outside press the screen to turn it on then touch the little picture of Katie. When she answers tell her that you're all alone and that I'm injured. She will help you. Then call your mother so she won't worry and she can start helping you, too. In my coat on the left side is a pocket, inside it is my wallet. Take my passport and drivers license out of it and take the rest. Put my passport back in the pocket and my drivers license in the back pocket of my trousers...I'll need them on me so I can be identified. Remember that I love you very much and **_go_**..." He started to cry "I don't want to leave you here all alone...I don't want you to die!" I tried to smile "The best way to help me is to go and get help...please...go...be...brave..." He kissed me "I love you, daddy..." and got up and started to run. The last thing I remembered was seeing him round the corner to the hall that led to the escalators and outside. My last thoughts were of Katie...


	98. Chapter 98: Exsanguination

**_Chapter 98: Exsanguination_**

It was an early June morning in Houston. The summer heat had not yet hit with its blow torch intensity so the windows and doors were open to let in the cool, soft morning air. The sounds of birds raising their families in the trees and the tinkle of the waterfall was soothing. Katie was sitting on the sofa with William and Elizabeth. She giggled and said "Moo!" to the two hungry babies nursing at her breasts. As had been her habit when she was giving the twins their early morning feed she nursed them while watching the news on BBC World Service. They broke in with a special report; the scene was one of utter chaos, smoke, fire, flashing lights on emergency vehicles, sirens and badly injured people. The announcer said over it "There has been a series of explosions in central London. Early reports indicate that there were seven in various underground stations and a further twelve at assorted areas in central London. Things are too disorganized at the moment as emergency services are rushing in to help but the initial reports are that there are 23 dead and over 300 injured but there is no doubt that those numbers will rise as time goes on. All underground services have been shut down, buses are still running with modified service due to the street closures in the affected areas. Security has been heightened at all train stations and airports which is leading to delays in those services. All motorists in central London are advised to get off the roads as soon as possible so emergency services will be able to operate freely. All off duty police, fire, ambulance and other emergency personnel are called back to duty. The major hospitals in central London are requesting that all off duty personnel return to work. Businesses are being advised to remain open and keep their employees in place until the transportation system can be reorganized to provide their workers the means to return to their homes. We are expecting statements from the mayor of London and the Prime Minister soon. There is no question in anyone's mind that this is an act of terrorism..."

She became very concerned, she knew that her husband and his son had arrived in London an hour or so before and said to the twins "As soon as you two are done with breakfast I've got to try to call your daddy to make sure he and your brother are OK. I might not be able to get through, the phones are probably jammed..." She listened intently as the underground stations that had been bombed were listed-Embankment, Tottenham Court Road, Charing Cross, Oxford Circus, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Baker Street. She thought to herself "Oh _yeah_, they were going for mass casualties and terror alright. It's lunchtime and there would be thousands of tourists and Londoners in the area heading off to lunch, to do a spot of shopping or on their way to see the sights. Interesting that all are either on the Bakerloo Line or the Northern Line though that might not mean anything. Bombs in the Piccadilly Circus, Embankment and Baker Street stations would shut down major junctions with most of the rest of the tube system lines. No train stations. That's not surprising; the security might be a bit much for them there. Traffic is always heavy in those areas, too, which will hinder rescue efforts." Then they listed the places above ground that had been hit-a couple bombs in Trafalgar Square, one in Leicester Square. Outside of Westminster Abbey, Covent Garden, a couple of places along Charing Cross Road, Oxford Street and Regent Street. She said to the twins "Someone doesn't like tourists, or shoppers...Whoever they were they wanted mass casualties, mass terror and wanted it all concentrated in the busiest part of London where the traffic at this time makes it very difficult to bring in rescue equipment. If they wanted to shut down, paralyze and terrorize an entire city they certainly have succeeded in doing so."

The twins had finished their breakfast, been winded, their nappies checked for 'bonus free gifts' and cuddled. Once that was done she placed them in the 'Corral de los Niño's' that she had improvised on the floor of the living room out of king sized foam mattress pad, a quilt and some door gates connected together and to 'fence posts' she'd fashioned out of wood to make a corral. In there they could roll around or try crawling to their heart's content and there was enough room for plenty of toys and an adult to be in there with them to play. She picked up her phone and tried to call her husband, as she had expected the call was bounced due to the clogged cell phone system. She put the phone in her pocket and climbed into the 'Corral de los Niño's' and started to play with them "Well...I'm not going to worry until I have something to worry about. We just have to hope and pray that your daddy and James are safe. What _you two _have to worry about is that today your lunch menu has been expanded to include the exciting and wonderful new world of cereal! YUM!"

Katie smiled as she heard the distinctive ring tone that identified the caller as her husband. She answered it and found it was not her beloved husband but his son James. She could barely hear him over the sounds of sirens and people shouting. "What's wrong, James?" He sobbed "There's been a big explosion and daddy's hurt real bad. He told me to run outside because of the fire. Daddy told me to find a policeman and tell him where that he was on the platform then I was supposed to call you and my mum. I'm all alone and I'm scared! I tried calling mummy but the phone tells me that I can't because it's too busy. It let me call you." The smile left her face, her heart raced and she wanted to throw up but remained calm so she could help the frightened little boy on the other end of the line "OK..first of all the phone lines are jammed so this call might be dropped. Listen carefully to me...Did you find a policeman?" he replied "There are all sorts of them but they're so busy and running into the station." She sighed "That's understandable. Do you see anyone wearing a big red cross or a van with a big red cross on it?" He was silent for a moment then said "Yes, they are over by the fire trucks." She replied "Go over to them and tell them that your daddy is hurt on the platform of the station and you're all alone. If possible ask them if they have a moment to talk to me." She could hear him start to run then heard him telling someone his story and asked if they could talk to her on the phone. The next voice she heard was not James's but a woman's. "Hello, this is Patricia Alexander of the Red Cross." Katie replied "Thank God! My name is Katie Ellingham, the boy's name is James Ellingham. My husband and I live in Houston, Texas and I am calling from there. I know you are exceptionally busy but want to ask where he might be taken until someone can claim him. From what he described to me my husband is seriously injured on the platform. He is probably dying or already dead, from what James described it sounds like he's bleeding out." Patricia replied "I understand. We are currently trying to collect the children who have lost their parents or guardians and are taking them to Horse Guards Parade Grounds where we're setting up a triage and holding center for the children until we can arrange more suitable accommodation." Katie took a breath "Thank you! I will try to find someone who can collect him in London. He and his mother live in Cornwall so it may be difficult for her to get there, would it be permissible for a friend of the family to collect him?" she replied "I'm not sure at this moment...I must go...I'm sorry..."

Katie thanked her and the next voice she heard was James's. "Hello, Katie...are you still there?" She tried to sound cheerful and soothing "Yes I am. The nice people with the Red Cross are going to take you to Horse Guards Parade until someone can come get you. What I want you to do is to turn off the phone after we finish this call to preserve the batteries. Are you wearing your watch?" James said he was. "Good! What I want you to do is turn on the phone for five minutes at the top of each hour. I will send you texts to let you know what is going on. I will try to get ahold of your mum to let her know you're safe. I have to find someone who can come get you. When I find someone I will text you their name, do _not_ go with anyone but that person. In the text I will include a code word, ask that person what the code word is. That way you will know they are who they say they are." Her voice turned serious "James, I know that you're really afraid and worried about your daddy. Right now the best we can do is let the emergency personnel do their jobs and hope and pray that he's OK. What you need to do right now is be brave and understand that we are all trying very hard to get you to a safe place and back home to Port Wenn. It may take a couple of hours for me to organize this so try to be patient and keep your spirits up. Know that we all love you..." James said in a voice that told her that he was trying very hard to be brave but was on the brink of panic "Do you think daddy is dead?" She sighed and said "I don't know...no one knows right now. _We have to rely on what we do know._ What I know is that your father is a healthy, strong man who knows and understands his injuries. _He will do everything he possibly can to stay alive until help comes_. I am not going to lie and tell you that everything will be alright because we both don't know that for a fact. _What I do know_ is that for right now the very best things we can do to help him is hope they find him soon, pray that he is still alive and send all our love to him to let him know we love him and he's not alone. The very best thing you can do at the moment is to try to be brave, try not to worry so much and be patient until someone comes for you. I know that will be hard to do but you must do it." She could tell by the tone in his voice that he was rising to the challenge "I will try..." She said in a calm voice "Good! Now I'm going to start calling around to organize things for you and to try to get ahold of your mum. Remember to turn off the phone and keep it in a safe place. If something bad happens try to call again immediately but otherwise look for my texts at the top of the hour. Be brave and remember we all love you." He replied "OK...I love you and will talk to you later...Goodbye." She picked up the twins and held them, tears rolled down her cheeks. "Oh, god...please let him live..." She kissed them and put them back down then said in as cheerful a voice as she could manage "You two amuse yourselves for a while, your momma's got work to do." She went to the office and plugged in her phone. It was about to get a work out and she needed it to stay charged. She then thought about who she could call in London that would be able to pick James up. Ruth was in Devon with Don so she was out. Robert was probably up to his neck in injured people so he was out...

**_Fiona!_**

She pressed the icon and called her. Fortunately she got through "Hello Katie! It's a bad day here..." Katie interrupted her "I know. Martin and James were on the platform in Oxford Circus tube station when the bomb went off." Fiona gasped "Oh my god! Are they alright? Is there anything we can do to help?" Katie replied "Yes and no. James is alright but as far as I know Martin is probably dead by now." She then listed off the injuries and symptoms that James had described to her. "You have to admit that doesn't sound good. I may not be a doctor but I know enough to understand that more than likely he will have bled out if they did not get to him within minutes of James leaving him. I am _trying_ to have hope right now..." Fiona's voice turned sad and serious "Martin is a remarkable man who has much to live for. If he can, he _will_ survive. You have to remain strong for him." Katie replied "I am...the reason why I'm calling is to ask a great favor. I need you to go and collect James and take care of him until we can arrange for him to go back to Port Wenn. _He's all alone right now_. Ruth is in Devon and Louisa is at home in Port Wenn. With all the chaos in London, especially with transportation, I doubt that either one of them would be able to get there today or tomorrow..." Fiona said "Of course I will be happy to do so! Do you know where he's being taken to?" Katie replied "The Red Cross worker said they were going to be taking the unclaimed children to Horse Guards until they can organize better accommodations for them. I did ask her if a family friend would be allowed to pick him up and she said she didn't know, she had to get off the phone." She could hear Fiona writing "OK...I have contacts with the Red Cross, we do a lot of charity work for them. I will find him and bring him back to our home. I will also try to get ahold of Robert and tell him the situation. He will keep an eye out for Martin. More than likely, if he's still alive, Robert will have him transferred to St. Mary's if he's at another hospital to make sure he's well taken care of. He will also be one of the first to see the list of the names of the dead...If, god forbid, Martin's name shows up on that list one of us will contact you. It'd probably be better to hear it from us than some government official..." Katie sighed "Thank you so much, Fiona! It's a great relief. Oh, before I forget, I told James that I would think of a code word for both of you so he knew that you were the person who was to collect him...hmmm...I know! The code word is 'Fajitas". He loves them and it's not a word commonly heard in London. He will probably _want_ some Fajitas afterwards, though..." Fiona laughed "I think there is a place that makes them here, if it's open I'll take him there to get some. If I hear anything about Martin I will call, too!" Katie replied "Thanks, Fiona! I'd better try getting ahold of Louisa. I'll call you later, if you manage to find James give me a call. Oh, I told James to turn the phone back on at the top of the hour for five minutes to preserve the batteries. If you get there before then he might not know your name or the code word. If so call me and let me talk to him-I'll tell him you are the right person and he can double check that on Martin's phone." With that they both hung up. Katie sent a text to James telling him who was coming for him and what the code word was.

Katie went into the kitchen to get something to drink and checked on the twins as she walked back to the office. They were rolling around, trying to crawl and babbling away about all manner of things. She thought as she looked at them "You two are so beautiful. I hope your daddy is OK...He loves you so much!" She sighed as she sat down at the desk. She looked at the photo of her husband that was on her phone "I love you, babycakes...please live and come home to us..." This was a phone call she wasn't looking forward to making; Louisa must be frantic by now. She hit the icon to Louisa's phone number; Louisa picked up on the first ring "Hello Katie! Have you heard from Martin? I've tried calling his phone but can't get through." Katie replied in as calm a voice as she could manage "Hello Louisa! I've heard from James. He is alive, well and unharmed. The Red Cross are taking him to Horse Guards and I've arranged for Fiona to pick him up there and take care of him until we can arrange for him to go back to Port Wenn." Louisa's voice rose about a half an octave _"What about Martin? Why isn't he with James? Where is he?"_ Katie sighed "Martin and James were on the platform of the Oxford Street tube station when the bomb went off..." Louisa gasped and started to cry "Oh, my god!" Katie continued as the tears rolled down her cheeks "From what James told me Martin has been seriously injured. He told James to leave him and get out of the station before the fire got worse. Based on what James told me about his injuries I...I...I suspect that he is dead by now. _I am hoping not with all my heart and soul _but we have to be prepared for that if it has occurred." She heard the phone hit the ground and a few moments later heard it being picked up again, instead of Louisa it was Stephan "Hello, Katie...Louisa's run off to the loo. What's going on? I was in the other room heard her part of the conversation, I came into the room as Louisa dropped the phone and ran off." Katie replied "Martin and James were on the platform at Oxford Circus when the bomb went off. James is fine and is being taken to Horse Guards by the Red Cross until he can be collected. I've arranged for Fiona to go get him and take care of him until we can get him back to Port Wenn. As far as I know Martin has been severely injured and is possibly dead by now. Fiona is going to try to contact Robert to see if he has any information on Martin..." Stephan took a deep breath "I understand. What I don't understand is how you can be so calm right now." Katie sighed "I guess that maybe it's because I've been a pilot all my life and when things go bad up in the air panic equals death. You have to be cool in the face of adversity or you don't survive. Right now I have to keep it together. I can't afford to fall apart; there are others who need me to be strong and calm. I also have to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best..." The phone clicked, there was a call waiting. It was from Fiona. "Stephan, I have to go. It's Fiona. I'll call you back to let you know what's going on."

She clicked over to Fiona's call "Hello Fiona!" Any news?" Fiona replied "Yes. I called my contacts at the Red Cross and am on my way to pick James up. Traffic is a nightmare but it's better than it was. I'm guessing that it'll be a couple hours before we make it home. Robert called me about ten minutes ago. He didn't have much time to talk. He said that Martin is there at St. Mary's! He had overheard one of the ward sisters in the A&E say that a patient that just been taken to theatre was none other than 'that tosser Ellingham'. He asked that sister if she was sure and she showed him Martin's passport and Texas Driver's License. He asked her to give him Martin's status and she said he was close to exsanguination when he was brought in and near death. He has a deep wound to the left calf, numerous cuts and contusions, dislocated shoulder, two broken ribs and blunt force trauma to the left upper quadrant. Currently he is listed as being in critical condition and is in theatre...When I hear more I'll call you." Katie sighed a sigh of relief "Thank god! At least he's still alive...he may not be in the greatest shape right now but he's still here! I'll let you go so you can concentrate on traffic. _Thank you so much!_ Please give me a call when you get back home with James." Fiona said "I will call both you and Louisa when we get home. You go and try to relax, is there anyone there with you?" "Just me and the twins! They're being their cute selves and trying to break out of prison right now. Maybe it's because they found out that lunch is something called 'cereal' instead of the titty bar." Fiona laughed "You _are_ having a stressful day! I can remember the first time I tried to feed Ian cereal. He was _not_ a happy boy! Oh, I'd better go, I've got to manage a detour. Talk to you later!"

Katie dialed Louisa's number and she answered on the first ring "Hello, Katie! I'm sorry I dropped the phone on you...Stephan said you had to take a call from Fiona. Is there any news?" Katie replied "Yes. Fiona is on her way to pick James up. She said with all the traffic delays and detours it might be a couple hours before they make it home but she will call as soon as they do. Robert called her about a half an hour ago to tell her that Martin is at St. Mary's! He's alive but badly injured, currently he is in theatre. That's all I really know but I'll take it!" Louisa said "That's wonderful news! I was dreading having to tell James that...I don't want to even say it." Katie replied "I understand, I didn't want to say it either but I had to so I could be prepared if that was the case." As she said that the chorus of 'I'm hungry' cries started up, Louisa heard them and chuckled "Sounds like someone's hungry!" Katie sighed "I was starting them on cereal today but I think I'll give it a miss. I'm too exhausted to fight with that right now." Louisa replied "Go take a nice bath after you feed them, you sound tired." "Well, I'd better go and feed them before they start rioting. If I hear anything else I'll call you."

Katie stared at the phone and thought "He's alive!" Then she put her head down on the desk and cried. "He's alive _for now_..."


	99. Chapter 99:There's No Crying in Baseball

**_Chapter 99: There's No Crying in Baseball_**

Katie wiped away her tears and sighed "There's no crying in Baseball, time to get off my ass and quit acting like some stupid helpless little girl." She picked up her phone again and dialed Don's number. "Hello, Katie..._What's wrong?"_ She replied "It's horrible...I need help...Martin needs help..._he's_ _dying_..." Don's voice turned serious "What's happened?" She gave him a synopsis of all she knew so far, when she was through Don said "OK...let me handle this. You stay by the phone and I'll call you back ASAP." Little did she know that one phone call was like the pebble that starts an avalanche.

She walked over to the corral and climbed in, William and Elizabeth greeted her with big grins knowing that their 'lunch' would soon be served. "You two got lucky today...the exciting new world of cereal has been postponed until a later date. I can't deal with that now because I know how you two are. You'll make a big mess and _enjoy_ it." They giggled at that comment and Elizabeth got up on her hands and knees and wobbled for a moment then collapsed in a giggling heap. "That was very good, Elizabeth! Soon you'll be crawling around and a whole new world will open up for you." Not to be outdone by his sister, William got upon his hands and knees and wobbled for a moment and smiled at his mother "Very good, William! You're such a clever little boy! Your daddy will be so proud of _both_ of you..." She sighed and wiped the tears away from her eyes again then smiled for her children. "There's no crying in Baseball...come on, you two! Luncheon shall be served shortly." She picked them up and took them upstairs to the nursery where she settled in and gave them their 'lunch'. As they fed she thought of her husband who was lying on an operating table thousands of miles away. She _hoped_ he was, the alternative was too horrible to think about. She told herself "I _have_ to think about it...nothing is certain and I have to be prepared for all options." She knew that he wanted to be cremated if he died...well, what was left of him after any usable organs were harvested. "Oh...I can't think about this now! I must have hope!"

She closed her eyes and tried sending all her love to him, playing scenes from their life together in her mind and sending them along with her love. She talked to him in her mind "You better not die on me, Martin! I'll kick your ass if you do!" She could hear what he would say back to her if he were there to reply "If I'm dead I won't know you're kicking it. It'd be rather pointless." She replied to that "Maybe, but it'd provide some level of satisfaction by giving me an outlet for my frustration with you. It'd be downright uncivilized of you to up and die on me and leave me a widow with three small children!" She could almost feel his hands on her shoulders "The people who did this to me are the ones who are uncivilized. I had no choice in the matter. If you wish to 'kick someone's ass' kick theirs, not mine. I don't want to die, but that is another thing I have no choice in. As you are so fond of saying 'When your number's up-ya go.' _You know that better than anyone._ If I do go I'll be waiting for you. We've always been together. You also know that one better than anyone else though you never dared tell me. You didn't think I'd understand it and I'd think you were crazy. Perhaps I wouldn't understand it then, but I do now..."

The sound of her phone ringing brought her back from her reverie, it was Don. She sighed and answered it. "Hello, Don..." He interrupted her "Katie, pack your bags and get the twins ready to travel. A car will be coming for you in about an hour." She replied "Why? What's going on?" He said "I talked to Robert, they're packing him. That _ISN"T_ good...We don't have time for me to explain it in detail right now because you _need_ to be ready to go when the car arrives. You go and get ready now. Make sure you bring the twins birth certificates, you will need them for immigration. Pack enough for a week. Ruth and I are leaving for London and will meet you there." She felt sick "OK...I'll try to be ready. I've never packed to take the twins on a long trip before so I have to think about what they'll need." Don said in a soothing tone "I understand...Do your best and whatever you may have missed we'll get it for them here. I have to make some more phone calls and you have to get ready. If I find anything else out I'll call you."

After they had hung up she sat there for a moment and contemplated the photo of her husband on the desktop of her phone. "There's no crying in Baseball..."


	100. Chapter 100: Don's Fingerprints

**_Chapter 100: Don's Fingerprints_**

The doorbell rang. Katie thought "Have I been sitting here daydreaming for an hour? I'm _not_ ready for this!" She ran to the door and opened it, instead of the driver it was Foghorn. "Howdy, Katie! I've come to see how you are and help you get ready to go." She stood there, and then collapsed in his arms in a sobbing heap. "Shhh...it'll be alright, sugar..." He picked her up and closed the door then carried her over to the sofa and held her. "It's OK to cry, honey...I know you don't think so...You always try to be so strong and calm..." He grabbed the box of tissues on the coffee table and handed her a couple, she smiled wanly and dried her tears and blew her nose "Thanks...I needed that." He smiled "I know...now, we have to get you and the twins ready to go. Time is of the essence." She took another couple tissues and blew her nose again "Damn, I'm getting a nosebleed. Yuk!" He took a tissue from the box and dabbed her eyes "Feel better?" She nodded. He gave her a hug then stood up "Come on, hun! We've got stuff to pack! We have to be ready when the driver gets here." She stood up "Don said that Robert told him they were 'packing him'. What does that mean?" Foghorn started heading up the stairs "I'll tell you as we get you ready to go."

As they packed Foghorn explained the situation to her "Martin lost too much blood and has hit the lethal triad. The lethal triad is hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy. In other words he got too cold. His blood chemistry changed due to blood loss and the attempts to keep fluids circulating in him by the emergency personnel until they got him to the hospital has resulted in hyperchloremic acidosis. Finally, his blood can't form clots to help stop additional blood loss-to try to operate on him to repair the damage now would be like trying to operate on a hemophiliac. What they are doing right now is damage control. They opened him up to alleviate the abdominal compartment syndrome and are using pressure and packing for local hemorrhage control. Then they'll temporarily close him up, try to get body temperature up, his blood chemistry under control and try to assess what additional damage may have been done and other complications that may have arisen by him hitting the lethal triad. His initial injuries weren't all that severe, it was nothing that couldn't be handled easily. The problem was that he lay there bleeding for almost an hour before they got to him." Katie stood there motionless while she digested this information then closed her eyes and shook her head "I can only_ imagine_ what those 'other complications' might be. No need to go into them, I've been around enough doctors to have an idea. I can read up on it on the plane." Foghorn smiled "No need to read up on them, you will have it all explained to you by the master of damage control. You aren't going to be the only one on that plane. Karl, Chandra, Claire, Ryan, Juanita, Marcy, Devi, Terry and Jody are going with you." She was surprised "Why are they going?" Foghorn gave her a hug "They're going to go fix your hubby, sugar. They're _swamped_ over there so they're going to attend to Martin. This helps Robert because it will free up people for him and once they finish with your hubby they are going to help Robert out-it will give him some of the best surgeons out there along with one extra surgical team of nurses and a gas passer. Karl is one of the best in the world when it comes to the situation they're in right now-he saw _so much_ of this kind of stuff in the Army that dealing with it is second nature to him. We're also sending over some extra equipment and supplies that will come in handy, things that are in rather short supply and are badly needed. I don't know if you've heard the current numbers of injured and dead from this...let's just put it this way, Hitler on his best night during the blitz could only _wish_ he could've caused this many dead and injured. It's bad..._real bad_...Most of the bombs that went off were pressure cooker bombs filled with nails and ball bearings. Horrible! We're not the only ones sending personnel and equipment over, most of the major hospitals in Europe and the US are sending assistance too."

She asked "How will we get over there, that's too many people and too much stuff for one private jet. Military transport would be too slow and too hard to pry out of the government" He laughed "It's funny how things like this work sometimes. Your brother! He contacted Don shortly after you had called him. He told him that his boss wanted to know what he might be able to do to help. They had tried contacting the British government but they hadn't called back-not surprising, they're up to their ass in alligators at the moment. He had heard on the news that other hospitals in Europe and the US were sending help so he thought that some of the hospitals in the US might need help in getting people over there. The only person he knew that might know what was needed was Don so he called him. Don explained to him the situation with Martin and in general and is sending one of Mr. Crosby's jets down from Dallas. Danny has also placed his jet at our disposal. You and the rest are going on Danny's jet, the one coming from Dallas is better suited to hauling cargo so the equipment and supplies are going to be loaded on that one. Don did tell me to tell you that John said he will try to call you later; he's pretty busy pushing planes and helicopters around at the moment." She sighed as she packed clothing for the twins "I was about to call him when you showed up, I wanted to get my crying jag out of the way first. I had been so busy trying to make sure James was taken care of that I hadn't sat down and really thought about what Robert said about Martin's condition. Once I did I knew it was very bad, _much worse than he of Fiona tried to let on_. The key to me was when Fiona mentioned that when he was brought in he was close to exsanguination and near death. She mentioned it passing then went on to describe his injuries but I knew that those injuries were _nothing_ compared to losing almost all of his blood."

They'd finished pacing all the clothes and baby things and it was time to wake the twins up from their nap and put them in their car seats. "Oh, I'm not looking forward to this. They don't like being in their car seats for very long and flying isn't going to fun for them. They don't know how to adjust the pressure changes in their ears as altitude increases or decreases so it will cause them pain." She thought for a moment "Hmmmm...Martin would be angry with me if he knew I had these..." She opened a drawer and pulled out a package of pacifiers. "These might help. Sucking on these might be the equivalent of chewing gum for those who have trouble with their ears as they fly. I'd bought them for that reason and hid them. Martin has an _absolute horror_ of pacifiers-I got the full blown 'doctor lecture' out of him about them." She smiled at Foghorn "Sometimes it sucks to be married to a doctor...he can be a _real pain in the ass_ at times!" Then she started to laugh "Speaking of sucks...He's going to suck at being a patient, you know! Maybe I better pack my blowgun, darts and some Moose tranquilizer...we might need it to keep him in line..." Foghorn laughed "Oh god, you're right! You have a gag handy? We might need that, too." She giggled "Naw, we aren't into the kinky stuff...I do have a roll of duct tape, though."

William and Elizabeth weren't exactly overjoyed by having their nap interrupted but fell back asleep soon after they were put in their car seats. All that was left was the waiting. Foghorn asked "Is Peter in town?" Katie shook her head "No, he and Minh are spending their summer touring Europe and spending some time with his mum and step dad in Cornwall. Currently they're somewhere in France." He said "Do you need someone to come over and take care of things at the house?" She replied "Nope...I might have some interesting biology experiments in the fridge by the time I get back but that's about it...Oh, I'd better fill the Koi feeder, start that load of nappies and take the garbage out." She ran off to do those chores. When she came back she went upstairs again "I forgot something, be right back." A couple minutes later she came down with a small padded case and put it in her bag. "What's that?" Katie smiled a sly smile and raised an eyebrow "My own version of resuscitation." The doorbell rang and Foghorn said "They're here...Everything locked up?" She nodded and answered the door to find Karl, Ryan, Chandra and Claire. "What are you doing here?" Claire answered "They are taking all of us on a bus to the airport. We thought you might need a hand with your stuff..." As they walked in they each gave Katie a hug then started grabbing bags and baby equipment. Foghorn picked up William's car seat and Claire picked up Elizabeth "Come on, sweet pea! You're going on your first plane ride..." Katie looked one last time to see if she had left something behind then set the alarm and locked the door. As they walked to the bus Katie said to Foghorn "I just thought of something, could you maybe stop by every other day or so to pick up the mail?" "Sure, darlin...If you get any letters from any of your old beau's I'll hide 'em for you!" She laughed "There's only one of those and he doesn't live anywhere near a post office."

The ride to the airport went smoothly and she was surprised when she got there. They hadn't gone to Hobby or Sugar Land, they had gone to Ellington Field. On the tarmac was a rather impressive lineup of private jets. She knew most of them-corporate jets from some of the large corporations headquartered here, some were owned by the wealthier residents of River Oaks. A couple she didn't recognize. She knew a massive airlift when she saw one and was rather impressed by how quickly this had been organized. She smiled inwardly and thought "This has Don's fingerprints _all over it_. The guy knows everybody who's anybody!" When she got off the bus she saw some of the doctors from the other hospitals at TMC that she had met and guessed that each one was sending a team along with equipment and supplies to help out. If the situation was as dire as Foghorn had described they were going to need the help-the hospital staffs in London could only work for so long before exhaustion and the psychological effects of seeing what they were seeing set in and they would need to rest. They piled into Danny's jet and settled in, she knew Ashley and Nicholas was greeted warmly by them. Ashley said as she came aboard "We're putting you in the aft cabin, it will be the most comfortable for you and the children. We've tried our best to make it safe so the twins can sleep without being affected if we hit some bad turbulence along the way." Katie replied "Thank you so much! I hope they will sleep along the way and apologize in advance if they get cranky. I know crying babies aren't the most fun on a long journey." Katie and Claire strapped the twins car seats in and Katie pulled out the package of pacifiers, she looked at Claire and said "Martin will kill me if he finds out about these but they're about the only thing I can think of that might help them adjust their ears to altitude." Claire laughed "Their momma is half bird, they'll be fine." Katie smiled "Yeah, they're also half Martin! They're probably horrified by pacifiers! Make little signs of the cross, call for an exorcist...that kind of thing. Or worse, they'll give me a lecture about them." Claire replied "You're right, but with their mouth full of pacifier it'll be hard for them to give you a lecture. You know, that might be a good idea-get a real big one to stuff in your hubby's mouth when he goes into lecture mode on you. That would shut him up!" Katie giggled "I have _other ways_ of shutting him up!" Claire laughed _"I __DON'T__ want to know! _Now I have to go wash my brain out with Clorox! It's going to be bad enough to see him nekkid..."

Soon they were rolling down the runway and in the air. The pacifiers worked like a charm, the twins sucked on them and soon fell asleep. Chandra looked at them as she helped Katie put them to bed in the cabin "Claire was right, they are their momma's children. They're at home in the air." With the twins comfy and asleep Chandra and Katie rejoined the others at the conference table. Karl logged in and retrieved Martin's current chart and vitals. "God, this is ugly...what a mess! Katie...don't be angry with Fiona. I think if Robert did explain the true nature of Martin's injuries to her she tried to soften it for you, she knew you were all alone and knows that you can put two and two together. Let's start a list and draw up a game plan. OK...he has a lacerated liver...that spleen's gonna have to come out...kidney is badly bruised...hemopneumothorax, not surprising considering the broken ribs...oh, wow! Claire you're going to have your work cut out for you...a VSD and retroperitoneal bleeds. He got hit _hard_ by something, last time I saw something like this was on some guy that got thrown out of his car in an auto accident, flew 50 feet and hit a tree. The tree won on that one...Once we get done with the major stuff we're going to have to start digging out all the shrapnel. Whoever these bombers were they were vicious people!" Claire looked at the scans "How much you want to bet that he's got a cardiac contusion mixed in with all of this, they didn't have much time in there before they had to pack him and may have missed it." Chandra added "They also didn't have time to find all the other bleeders, there is more blood loss then what the injuries listed so far would account for. It's going to be like searching for a needle in a bloody haystack in there. We also don't know the extent of the damage from the lethal triad. We could also have some necrosis to deal with." She looked at the latest vitals "These don't look too bad all things considered but we all know that appearances in cases like this can be deceiving. We best prepare for the worst." They all agreed. Karl said "OK...the first thing we'll have to deal with is the VSD. If his heart goes there isn't much point in trying to repair anything else. The question is how to do it. We can't use heparin, that'd be like throwing gas on a fire. So open heart surgery is out. What do you think, Claire?" She thought for a moment "Go in percutaneously. I know that would be Martin's choice if he was handling this. I wish he was doing it, he has the Midas touch with a catheter. If I screw this up he'll kill me. Well, I'll kill him first and he'll rise from the dead and kill me...sorry, Katie!" Katie gave her a hug "It's OK. I know all of you will do your best and I appreciate it. I understand the risks...and I'm prepared for the worst...I think I'll go take a nap with the twins, I'm tired." She got up and they all gave her a hug then she went back to the cabin and shut the door. She looked at her two sleeping babies then lay down and cried herself to sleep.


	101. Chapter 101: The Way Out

**_Chapter 101: The Way Out_**

It was hard to watch James run to safety. Hard because I knew I was sending my son out into the unknown-his path to safety may be blocked, there may be more bombs, he might get injured and be all alone...He might die. The worst was knowing that he was going to have to deal with the psychological scars of the events of this day and abandoning his father right before he died. _Horrible..._ _I love you, my beautiful son! Farewell!_ I knew that my injuries were worse than I initially thought..._much worse_. I could feel the pressure building in my chest; it was becoming harder to breathe and my heart was working hard to circulate my rapidly decreasing blood supply. Worst of all it stopped hurting. When it stops hurting you are close to death, the body is shutting down. Time seemed to be going _so slowly_ even though my mind knew it was going quite fast. It was an interesting sensation...feeling my life slip away. I didn't want to die...I now had so much to live for. I thought of what Katie was doing at this time, she was probably giving the twins their breakfast. I knew that she watched the news while doing so and she probably knew about the bomb by now. _Oh, Katie...I'm so sorry! I don't want to leave you all alone...I want to see our children grow up...I want to be with you...**I love you**.._. I could feel the tears roll down my face.

Everything was enshrouded in a grey mist, I hoped it was smoke but my 'soul' knew better. I took one last glimpse of 'this world'-the fire, the cloud of smoke above me, the body parts, an advert for a revival of 'A Chorus Line' and the sign that said 'Way Out'. I knew that I would be taking the 'Way Out' soon but it was a different 'Way Out' then going to the escalators and up to the pavement of the city of my birth in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. The only part of me that was going that way would be my battered, burned and torn body. The part of me that _IS_ 'me' was going to be taking the 'Way Out' to the unknown. I tried to desperately cling to my body and 'the world' like a shipwreck survivor clings to a bit of debris to stay afloat but I felt my grasp slipping. A bright light appeared, my mind thought that rescuers had finally come but I 'knew' better-it was **_THE LIGHT_**. I closed my eyes, let go and went to it. _It was the only 'Way Out' for me._

I found myself in Cornwall, but it was Cornwall in super saturated Technicolor. I knew the view, it was the one from my Aunt Joan's farm. I looked around and it _was_ her farm, but it had never looked better! The house was different-it was in excellent repair and had a thatched roof. There were fruit trees in an orchard next to the veg patch...she didn't have an orchard and most of those trees would never grow in Cornwall. The chickens were there but their enclosure was gone. They were roaming around looking for bugs to eat or drinking from a little spring. There were sheep and horses grazing in the distant fields. I saw a small dog running towards me from the field near the cliffs. I remembered that dog, Joan had called him "Buddy". Ruth took care of him for a while after Joan died then gave him to Al when she moved back to London. The dog ran up to me, stopped at my feet, wagged his tail and _said_ "Hello, Martin! I forgive you for the way you treated me. You didn't know any better. Now you do..." Then he ran off to chase a Butterfly. I looked at the Butterfly; it was a kind I'd never seen before. Its colors were so vibrant and brilliant that it mesmerized me and I watched it-its wings made a tinkling sound like wind chimes as it flew..._strange_. A familiar voice said "What are you doing here, Marty? You're not supposed to be here, you silly boy!" I turned to the voice and saw my Auntie Joan but it was Joan as I remembered her as a child. She was beautiful then. "Auntie Joan! What are you doing here?" She laughed "I'm _supposed_ to be here, _you're not!"_ I gave her a hug "I died...so I guess I'm supposed to be here, too." She looked at me "How did you die?" I sighed "There was a terrorist attack. A bomb in the Oxford Circus tube station. I was severely injured and died." She said "Ah...That was a mistake...sometimes mistakes like this happen...usually there is a reason for them but none of us know what the _true reason_ is...all I know is that you're not supposed to be here yet..."

She took my arm and we walked towards her gazebo by the cliff path "It's not your time to be here, you have to go back." I sighed "I can't go back, my body is broken." We sat down "Always the doctor...everything is absolutes with you. I would've thought that Katie had taught you better by now." I looked at her "How do you know about Katie?" She smiled "We occasionally get glimpses of how the ones we left behind are doing. You know, when I was in the physical world I'd thought that Louisa was the one you were meant to be with. When I got here I learned better. Katie has _always_ been your mate. You two have chased each other forever and will continue to until you both tire of it and finally decide to stay here for good and be together. Both of you enjoy the chase too much and go back and play at it again and again..." I was puzzled "I don't understand..." She replied "It'd take too much time to explain and _you don't have that time_. Here time means nothing but in your case it does. You are still bound to the physical world and that is where you belong. You have things to do and aren't supposed to be here until you complete them." I was confused and getting frustrated. "I can't go back, my body is too damaged!" She put her arm around me "Oh, Marty! You can be exceptionally stubborn at times." I was getting angry "What good would it do anyway? If I did live I'd be a vegetable, hospitalized for life and only alive because I'd be in a perpetual coma...a prisoner locked into the solitary confinement of my body without the means of communicating to anyone. I'd be a soul crushing burden to my wife and children. _It's better for all if I stay here_...Katie could get on with her life and I'd be a 'happy' memory preserved in stories, photos and videos for my children. I do worry about how this will affect James but he is an intelligent boy and Louisa and Stephan are good parents to him. With time he will get over it all." She sighed "It won't be that way...trust me when I tell you this. I can't tell you more than that. What is that quote that you two are fond of using_ this time around_? Ah...'there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'"

I sat there and thought about that quote. The mere fact that I was 'here' was concrete proof of the truth of it. I had never seen or read any scientific or empirical evidence that proved the existence of this place, _yet here I was_. I thought that maybe it was some hallucination of the mind-a death howl of the brain as it dies from lack of blood and oxygen. I threw away that thought; _I 'knew'__ this was no mere hallucination_. I thought it was the same place Katie had described but her experience here was much different. Perhaps if you end up here by mistake you are transported to a 'favorite place' to speak with someone you knew and trusted so they could ease you back to, as Joan put it, 'the physical world'. Katie ended up flying over forests and meadows of wild flowers and swimming with fish-for her at that age it would've been a favorite place. For me Joan's farm had been my favorite place-it represented comfort and safety to me as a child. It was truly 'Haven Farm' for me. Katie saw her mother; I was talking to Joan who was the closest thing I had to a mother. "Joan, what things are so important that I have to go back and how will I ever do them in a coma or as a crippled husk of a man?" As she spoke I 'saw' the things she was talking about. The first thing I saw was my wife and children in a series of 'glimpses' into the future. I saw our children grow into adults, all FOUR of them! I saw us grow old together, in our old age we lived somewhere beautiful-by the shore of a lake surrounded by mountains.._.it looked like a wonderful life!_ I was surprised to see that I was not in a coma or some crippled husk but was, for all intents and purposes, fully functional. I did have some horrible scars, though. "Well, first of all you have to complete this cycle of life with Katie. The story of your and her life and your love for one another will become a fable. You have children to raise and they won't become _who they are meant to be_ without _both of you_ there to raise and guide them." Then I saw my lab, I saw Peter and I working, then I saw others working with us as time passed. "The things you are working on and the ideas you _will_ come up with in the future will save millions of lives and make a great difference for many more. _None_ of them will come to pass if you aren't there." Then I saw my parents "You need to finish what you started with them. They are tortured creatures who need you and your family to help them break the cycle they are in and free themselves from their burdens. I never understood why they were the way they were until I got here, now I understand it. Don't ask me to explain it to you, I can't, you are still bound to the earth. Someday you will understand it, too." I thought about what she told me for a moment, still not believing that I could ever be restored to full health even if I did just 'see' it, then asked again "How will I ever do these things if I'm in a coma or am a crippled husk of a man?" She smiled and said "There are more things in heaven and earth, Martin, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

I looked out to sea...we must've been sitting there for a long time because the sun was beginning to set. It was a glorious sunset-it glowed and shimmered in colors I'd never imagined existed. _It was so beautiful!_ Joan stood up and took my hand "Time for you to go back, son. I love you and wish you could stay but you must go now. Katie is waiting for you, she now knows you are here and wants you to come back to her." I wanted to go back to her, too. I looked out to sea and said "How do I go back?" She hugged me then pointed to the sun "Fly to the sun-that is the portal back for you. Go before it sinks below the horizon, once it's gone there is no way back for you _this time around_." I laughed "I can't fly!" She said "Yes you can, just do it." I thought that the only 'flying I'd be doing was the flying as I fell off the cliff onto the rocks below but thought "At least I won't die on them, _I'm already dead!_' I gave her a quick hug "I love you, Auntie Joan!" She hugged me back "I love you, too. We will see each other again!"

I ran towards the sun, when I reached the edge of the cliff I soared into the air like a bird. It felt wonderful to fly! The sun was going down and I 'flew' as hard as I could to get there and once there I 'flew' through it and everything went dark again. I felt someone touching me and I groaned in pain "_This one's still alive!_ Bring a stretcher!" I felt them lift me into it then they carried me up and out of the station. All I could do was groan in pain as I was jostled around the debris, eventually everything overtook me and I passed out.


	102. Chapter 102: Pitch 'til you Win

**_Chapter 102: Pitch 'til you Win_**

"I'm here, Martin...so are Don, Karl, Chandra, Claire and Ryan...we're going to take care of you...I love you, babycakes..." she gently kissed her husband's forehead and stepped away from his bed, careful not to touch or dislodge any of the wires or tubes. Once clear she went back out into the hallway where Don was waiting for her. She sighed as she looked at the floor "I've seen road kill that looks better than he does..." Don put his arm around her "True...but he'll be ok. So far he's stabilized and the treatments are going well, that's the most important thing. Come on, let's get you home. There's nothing more that can be done at the moment and you need something to eat and get some sleep." She nodded tiredly then whispered "Why are they all looking at us?" Don smiled "I'll tell you on the way, let's go." The lift was crowded, in fact the whole hospital was crowded. Katie said "This is all so horrible. I've been to war zones before and this is the worst, probably because this is such a beautiful city." Don said as they got out of the lift "When have you ever been to a war zone?" "After 9/11...They contacted any pilots that had the right certificates and right kinds of experience to fly into 'the stans' to help out. They preferred people with prior military experience and I once was a member of the Alaska Air National Guard. I was only in for one tour but that was good enough for them. I had the right experience, the right certificates so they reactivated me." She chuckled "They gave me the rank of Captain, a uniform and a couple flight suits, patted me on the butt and sent me off. I spent the next three months flying tactical airlifts and spec-op support into the most god forsaken places imaginable. I got a medal for it..."

They stepped out of the hospital into the bright morning sunshine and took a cab to Ruth's home on Chester Place. Don said "You were wondering why they were all staring at us. That's easy to answer. They weren't staring at us, they were staring at _you_. Most of those people worked with Martin a long time ago...most of them hate him, too. To them Martin's name is 'that tosser Ellingham'. When he was here he led a very solitary existence, never socialized, had only one 'known relationship' and that was long ago with Edith. Quite frankly he was an absolute bastard to all but a _very few_. He was cold, rude, pompous, arrogant, merciless, abusive, ruthless, easy to anger and had absolutely _no tolerance_ for fools. He would send people running with a mere glance. The only reason why anyone tolerated him was because he was brilliant and the best. What does that have to do with you?" He gave her a hug "They never really saw him as a human being and cannot imagine him being married, much less the father of three children. They all wanted to get a glimpse of the person who 'tamed the beast'." She giggled "Four." He looked at her "Four? Four what?" She smiled "There's a bun in the oven. He doesn't know, I only found out yesterday. A little stick told me." He laughed and hugged her "Congratulations! That was quick! Isn't it a bit soon after the twins?" She replied "You forget that I was brought up to be a good catholic girl...and don't give me the lecture on pregnancy after 40, Dr. Kane. I've already heard it! Anyway, it seems that everyone thinks that if you're over 40 you will have a hard time conceiving...yadda, yadda, yadda. _Everyone_ has given us that lecture...Apparently in our case all he has to do is drop trou and BOOM!" Don laughed "Haven't you two heard of a little thing called 'birth control'?" She laughed "Why, _yes we have!_ We've been practicing the 'Pitch 'til you win' method. It's highly enjoyable and it seems to be quite effective. We wanted at least one more child and it seems that we got what we wanted...though I might be raising them by myself..." She started to cry and Don hugged her "Shhhh...he's going to be OK...don't worry..." She took a deep breath and wiped away her tears "I know what his injuries are and what is going on...He has about a one in ten chance of surviving and what will he be like if he does? He could be crippled for life, he might not wake up after the surgery..." She put her hands to her face and sobbed "It's all so horrible..." Don held her and rocked her gently "You can't think that way! He is in the best of hands. I told Foghorn to send the people he sent because they are the best at this. If anyone in the world can pull Martin out of this and back to full health it's them. Well, Martin would've been better at it then Claire but _not by much_. He has taught her well and she has grown so much since he came to Houston. She was _very good_ before, he is turning her into _great._ He is the mentor that she needed."

Don unlocked the door-the sounds of the twins giggling and babbling mixed with the sounds of laughter could be heard coming from the sitting room. Katie dried her eyes one more time and smiled "Sounds like those two are amusing the masses!" They went upstairs and entered the room "Katie!" a small voice cried as the body it belonged to ran to her. "James!" She gave him a big hug "How are you doing, sweet pea?" He smiled "I'm OK...Fiona brought me here so I could see my baby brother and sister and meet grandma and grandpa. Daddy was taking me to get the twins some gifts when..." He started to cry so she picked up, sat down and cradled him "It's OK, sweetie...you were _very brave_ and your daddy will be very proud of you. I know how hard it is to be brave sometimes and it's OK to cry." She dried his tears then sat him up on her lap and held him "William and Elizabeth got the best gift of all, they got to meet their very brave big brother!" He sighed "I wasn't brave...I should've stayed with daddy. _He needed me and I ran_." She looked at him "Sweetie, you were _very brave_. Only a very brave person could've done what you did. Sometimes the bravest thing of all is _not_ staying; it is going to find help for those who can't go themselves. You kept your wits about you, didn't panic and ran through fire, smoke and water to go get help for your father and all the rest of the people who were hurt. That was a very brave thing indeed. It was also exactly what your daddy needed. If you hadn't told them what was going on down there and where he was they wouldn't have found him in time." She gave him a hug "I've got to get up and feed your baby brother and sister." Ruth and Martin's parents had come in while Katie was comforting James and sat down. Ruth said "That won't be necessary, Katie. They just had their breakfast. It appears that they didn't have any fear of the brave new world of cereal; in fact they seemed to enjoy it. James was a great help, he's been helping Louisa feed his little sister Kate." Katie gave James a hug "Thank you for helping your Aunt Ruth and your grandparents take care of the twins. We'll have to take you out for a treat or maybe Aunt Ruth will let me use her kitchen and I can make you some of those biscuits you like." He hugged her "I just did what a big brother is supposed to do. Oh...I have to give you something!" He ran off to his room and came back, the smile on Katie's face faded as she saw what was in his hands. "Daddy told me to take these with me when I left..." In his hands was Martin's blood splattered wallet and phone. "Thank you, James. Your father will be happy to have these back." She opened her purse and took out his passport and license and put them back in it, when she opened it she found the claim tickets for their bags. "I guess we should go and pick these up today." Don said "I'll pick them up when I go fetch Louisa, she's coming in at 2pm." She handed the tickets to Don "Thanks! Martin will need the clothes in his bag, they cut everything off him." She sighed and smiled "It's nice to see you again, Margaret and Christopher. I wish it was under better circumstances..." Margaret said sadly "I wish so too...How is he?" Katie looked at James and said "Come and sit next to me, hun. I'm going to try to explain it in terms you'll understand and am going to say some things that might seem scary but it's better than trying to sugar coat it for you. I'm not going to hide the truth; you need to know what's happening. Don knows more about what's going on so he can explain it more if needed." Aunt Ruth stood up "Let's go and get you something to eat first. You need to eat. We'll have some tea while we talk."

"What would you like, Katie? I can manage a fairly good fry up. We also have some fresh croissants and fruit." Katie sat down at the table "All of it sounds good. I'm very hungry. Thank you!" Don made tea for the adults and cocoa for James. Ruth brought Katie her breakfast and they settled in. "Martin looks like three day old road kill but from what Karl says he's actually not as bad as they thought all things considered. He's responding well to the treatments and Karl expects to be taking him back into surgery in a couple of hours. There are two huge problems with him that need to be fixed right away before all the others. The first is that he has something called a ventricular septal defect, that essentially means he has a hole in his heart, James. The problem is that they can't fix it by doing open heart surgery because they can't use blood thinners, so Claire is going to fix it percutaneously. What that means is that she is going to put a wire in one of your daddy's arteries and thread it up it to his heart and fix it that way. The other huge problem is one that just cropped up. Karl ordered another set of scans on him using some of the equipment that was brought along from Houston and they found a tiny piece of shrapnel in his spine. They are afraid it will work its way into the cord. Right now they are trying to figure out how they are going to get it out of there. They can't flip Martin over to get at it that way so Ryan is trying to come up with a plan to get at it. Once those two things are out of the way they'll go in and start working on all the rest of the damage. Any questions so far, James?" He nodded negatively. "OK...there is a whole shopping list of things that need to be done inside his chest-they need to fix his liver, take out his spleen, take a look at his kidney to make sure that it isn't too badly damaged-the initial assessment was that it's badly bruised, and repair his ribs so they don't damage his lungs. He got lucky on that, they didn't get pushed into them. Then they have to look around and find any other damage and fix that. When they opened him up before they couldn't do much except pack him and get him to the ICU to try to stabilize him-they didn't have a chance to take a good look at everything. That's about it..." They sat around the table and discussed the situation with Don and Christopher discussing and explaining some of the more technical points to all. As they did so Katie started to nod off. Ruth shook her gently "Come with me, you need to rest. I'll show you the way to your bedroom." They excused themselves and Katie followed Ruth to where her bedroom was. Ruth said "Sleep well. If the hospital calls we'll wake you. The twins should be good for a couple of hours food wise." Katie thanked Ruth then shut the door, took off her clothes and climbed into bed. She was asleep within minutes.

She dreamed.


	103. Chapter 103: Don't you Dare Die on Me

**_Chapter 103: Don't you Dare Die on Me_**

A knock on the door roused Katie from her dreams. Ruth's voice came through the door "Katie, are you awake?" She replied with a groggy "Yes...is something wrong?" Ruth said "No. Robert called to tell us that they're taking Martin into theatre soon." Katie sat up and said "Thanks! I'll take a shower and express some milk. How are the twins?" "They're sleeping at the moment. Louisa is here, too." "Thanks! I'll be down in a half an hour." As she got ready she thought of the dream she was having before she was awakened. It was a strange and puzzling dream. She was flying a Herc and was wearing an ANG flight suit. She wasn't flying over desert and mountains but ice, a flat unbroken plane as far as the eye could see. It was during the long night of winter and the aurora was very active and intense. I was turning the landscape and sky into a gloriously beautiful kaleidoscope of swirling colors. It wasn't the Arctic, it was the Antarctic. The Southern Cross was high in the sky, not the Big Dipper. There was something wrong with the plane; the instruments weren't functioning except for the slowly spinning compass. Someone behind her said "I can hear Mactown but can't transmit. They're saying they are no longer receiving information from our locator and want us to verify our status and position." to which she replied "I'm not going to worry about them at the moment, we got bigger fish to fry." The copilot said "They'll find out we're still alive when Hobart picks us up on radar. I don't know why they're so worried, anyway. It's not like they're going to send a search party out after us." She knew that voice, it was her old buddy Phil. What was he doing on a military flight? What was _she_ doing on one? Phil was strictly a northern hemisphere kind of guy, he'd never been south of the equator. In the winter he'd spend time at his house in Nahiku on Maui when he wasn't out surfing. She thought to herself "Oh well...I can think about the meaning of this while I'm waiting."

She went to the kitchen to put the milk in the fridge then headed for the sitting room. When Louisa spotted her she got up and gave her a hug "How are you doing?" Katie gave her a hug back "I'm OK...how are you doing? Sorry about all of this..." Louisa replied "I'm fine and there's nothing to be sorry about...I snuck in and saw William and Elizabeth, they're beautiful! William looks like James when he was a baby, except with brown hair. Ohh...Elizabeth is going to be a beauty when she grows up." They sat down and Margaret poured Katie a cup of tea and handed it to her. Katie thanked her and said to Louisa "Yup...I know I'm going to have a bit of trouble with Martin about her when she grows older. I have a feeling that he is going to be _very protective_ of her...daddy's little girl and all that. I went through that with my father-it drove me _nuts!"_ She took a sip of tea and sighed "I guess this sort of puts a damper on our holiday plans...we were looking forward to it." Louisa replied "We were, too...It seems that the people who did this had other plans for everyone. We can go next year if you want, I know we'd love to." Katie sighed "It all depends on Martin...he might not be able to go." Louisa put an arm around her "Don't think that way! _ALL_ of us will be going next year, _including_ _Martin!_ You two will have your new boat by then and it'll be better." Katie smiled, "Yeah, there'd be plenty of room for everyone and the babies will be old enough to go swimming. Oh, did I tell you we finally decided what we're going to do with the 'Isilme'. We're moving her to either Plymouth or Bristol. Right now Plymouth is looking better, it has better facilities and is a more favorable location. Cuts a couple of days off a voyage to France, the Azores or down to the Med. The Azores are nice..." Christopher said "I find this so interesting! Please don't get me wrong but I don't think I've ever seen something like this before. Most wives don't get along very well with their husband's ex-wife and vice versa." Both Louisa and Katie laughed and Louisa said "It does seem a bit strange to most people and they find it difficult to understand. It is hard to explain to people who don't know us well." Don came in and said "Our cab is here, Katie. Time to go." She drank the rest of her tea and said "I guess I'll see all of you later. Are you leaving today, Louisa?" She replied "No. Stephan and I thought it best for me to stay here with James until we knew that Martin would be alright. James needs it. He needs to be able to see his father...one way or another. He'd feel like he was abandoning him again if I took him straight home."

Don escorted Katie to Robert's office, on the way he said "They're about to begin, if they haven't already. We thought you might be more comfortable in Robert's office than in the waiting room. Those chairs out there are pretty hard to sit in for very long and this is going to be a long one." She smiled "That is quite kind and thoughtful. I think I'd rather be alone then have to deal with strangers asking me questions or watching others getting news, either good or bad, about their loved ones. I got to keep it together." As they entered the office the Cajun drawl of Foghorn greeted Katie "There y'all are! How you holding up, sugar?" Katie shrugged "OK I guess. He looks like three day old road kill but he's still alive. What are you doing here?" Foghorn said "I came over with the second wave. I brought along Dakota and Arjan and some more stuff. I called Ivan and he flew in from Italy, too. I'm acting as a liaison to the US hospitals involved and handling logistics." Before she sat down she gave Robert a hug "I want to thank you and Fiona for everything you've done for us! It is greatly appreciated!" Robert smiled "We're happy that we could help! Please make yourself comfortable, we're going to go up to see if they've started and how they're doing. One of us will come back on a regular basis to update you." He wrote down a number on a slip of paper "If you need anything just page me." She put the paper in her pocket and nodded "Thank all of you so very much for your efforts...no matter how things turn out." They all gave her a hug and left, she settled in for a long wait.

Robert, Don and Foghorn arrived at the observation gallery. It was packed. Robert asked those in attendance if they were neglecting their duties and all of them said they were on their breaks and wanted to observe this procedure while they were on them. He looked at three junior house officers in the front row and they vacated their chairs and stood aside. Smiling smugly the three elders sat down. The speakers were on so they could hear what was being said down on the floor. It was packed down there, too. Karl spoke "Listen up, everyone. Before we begin I want everybody to take a deep breath. We need to be calm-if we rush we _will_ make mistakes and we can't afford to make _even one_." After a minute he said "OK...Let's begin...Start the clock and you're up first, Ivan and Ryan." They nodded and dove under the table. One of the junior house officers that had been unseated said "What _are_ they doing?" Don replied. "The first order of business is to get the shrapnel away from the spine and assess the damage and attempt repairs if it is doable from that position. That will determine how the patient will be handled from here on." Ryan said "You see a path, Ivan?" "Um...YES! It's starting to heal over, we'll need to open it bit then follow the path of entry." They both asked for implements and began the process of removing the shrapnel. After about a twenty minutes Ryan said "I see it...doesn't look like there's been much peripheral damage. Nothing that can't wait until later." Ivan said "I agree. Let's get it out, we don't have much time." After a couple minutes they popped out from under the table. "Got it, we're done for now." Karl said "Good. Let's get that other table out of here and move him." Once that was done Karl said "OK, Claire...GO!" Claire talked as she worked "Jeez...I did _NOT_ need to see that! It does explain _a lot,_ though...Inserting wire...You know, I used to have a hard time with this until Martin told me that the reason why I did was the way I stood and used my hands while doing it, then he showed me the adjustments I needed to make and worked with me all day in the skills lab until it became second nature. Now I _rock_ this!" After a couple minutes she said "Everything looks good, I'm done here!" Karl said "OK...let's open him up." What followed was chaos and it was hard to tell what exactly was going on because there was _so much happening at once_. It was a blur of motion and noise. Up in the gallery everyone was silent and still, concentrating on what was happening below. Karl shouted "Find whatever it is that's bleeding and SHUT IT DOWN NOW!" Other voices were heard to say "I need more suction...pressure dropping rapidly...pulse 50 and dropping...we're losing him... asystole!" Claire's distinctive voice was heard to say "Starting cardiac massage...come on...come _on_..._Don't you __**dare**__ die on me, you son of a bitch!"_ Devi was heard to say "He's already had his entire blood volume replaced! We're in danger of hitting the triad again." After a few moments Chandra shouted "GOT IT!" Devi said "I need to get his blood chemistry and temperature under control again before we have complications." Things quieted down after he did and they set about completing their shopping list of repairs.

Up in the gallery one of the senior house officers in the crowd was heard to say "That was brilliant! I'm going to watch the recording of this to try to determine the sequence of events, it all happened so fast." Foghorn, Don and Robert looked at each other and smiled. Don stood up and said "I'll go give Katie an update, be back in a couple minutes." After he left Robert said "Jean, you know about the cooperative venture Don and I have been trying to set up?" Foghorn nodded in reply and Robert continued "I'd like to include damage control and extreme trauma techniques. As chief of surgery that would come under your jurisdiction. We don't see nearly the cases you do over there and all of our experts in it are military." Foghorn smiled "Sure, we'd be happy to. We do see a lot of it and Karl is the best. We're fortunate to have him. Surprisingly the majority of cases we see come from industrial and automobile accidents. We do see a lot of injuries from exposure to hazardous materials, too." Don came back and sat down, Robert said "That was quick! How is she doing?" Don replied "She's fast asleep on your couch. I didn't want to wake her so I left her a note and instructed her to call me when she woke up. She needs the sleep."

They were quiet as they watched what was going on below, then Robert said "It was interesting...When they brought him in the ward sister told me that they found his passport in his coat and his driver's license in his back pocket. No wallet, no money. He still had his watch and wedding band, which reminds me, I have to give those to Katie." Don replied "He told James to do that. He must've known he was probably going to die and needed James to leave him and get out of there before he lost consciousness. He didn't want him to panic, either. He gave James a series of calm and clear instructions; one of them was for him to take his passport and license out of his wallet and put them in those pockets then take the wallet and phone with him. I guess he thought that if someone was down there looting the injured and dead he had a better chance of keeping his identification on him if it wasn't in a wallet. He knew that James needed his phone to call Louisa and Katie so they would know that he was OK and could assist him. Pretty smart thinking for someone who's bleeding out." Robert nodded "That's always been a hallmark of his character-the worse things get the more emotionless he becomes. Unless someone screws up, that is-then his tongue becomes sharper than a scalpel. _That_ hasn't won him many friends over the years..." Don replied "He's mellowed and has learned to control his temper. James has helped a lot with that, you can't be that way with a small child. He isn't the same person he was when he worked here, that's for sure." Robert laughed "You can say that again! It's amazing how much he's changed since he moved to Texas, too. When he told me he was moving there I'd thought he was crazy, now it appears he was right. He needed to leave here and start his whole life over." Foghorn chuckled "You two are forgetting the effect that woman sleeping in your office has had on him, too." Robert replied "Yes...there's a certain 'je ne sais quoi' about her that affects _everyone_ who gets to know her. One thing is true-she is exactly the kind of woman he needed to be with."

As time wore on and things became more 'routine' the usual banter and 'trash talking' between the surgeons involved in the procedure started up. Up in the observation gallery some of the audience discussed the 'rather casual and disrespectful behavior' of those below. Don and Foghorn rolled their eyes and Robert shook his head as they listened to the discussions. After one particularly biting comment Robert said to the person who made it "What you fail to understand, _Mr. Chapman_, is that all those people down on the floor are friends. They respect, learn from and teach each other, work well together as a team and are great friends outside of work. They play sports, go on holiday and have family gatherings together-they watch each other's children when they and their spouse want to have some time alone and all pitch in to help each other in times of crisis. They also realize that the nurses are essential members of the team and treat them with respect and are friends with them. _That is why they succeeded at this procedure_ _where_ _you__ would've failed_. If you would dispense with your inflated ego, stopped sucking up and behaving like a court eunuch and learned how to work as a part of a team we might've been able to pull this one off without the help of our American friends. It might do _the lot of you some good_ to try to become friends and help one another instead of stabbing each other in the back." He shook his head and sighed "Some days I swear that there's more 'knife work' going on _outside_ of the theater than _in _it around here..."

Dakota entered the theatre and was gowned and gloved. "You guys about ready to close?" Karl said "Yes, we're double and triple checking everything and making sure we haven't forgotten any instruments or swabs." Dakota looked over Chandra's shoulder to observe and assess the situation. "Does he have any other scars?" Chandra replied "No surgical ones, not even an appendectomy scar. A few minor ones from cuts and an immunization scar on his left arm, that's about it." She asked Karl "What are the chances you're going to have to go back in?" He replied "Hopefully none, of course there is always a very good chance we'll have to in a situation like this." She nodded "OK...I'll stitch him up real purdy and _hope_ you won't be ruining my handiwork." She noticed the wound on his left calf and inspected it "That was a rush job...it's going to leave a nasty scar. Oh well, I can fix that later..." They began to close and Dakota did the final act of it with the suturing the skin. After the last stich went in and the dressings were in place Karl said "Everyone did an outstanding job! Thank you all." Robert, Don and Foghorn got up and left the observation gallery, as they walked out Don said "I'll go get Katie." Foghorn said "We'll be in the ICU."

A gentle hand shook Katie out of her dreams. She rubbed her eyes "Hi Don...Is he OK?" He smiled and nodded "It was real bad at first but they got it under control. They just finished and are taking him to the ICU." He held out a hand and helped her up, as she stood she said "I'm sensing a big 'but' roaming around somewhere..." Don nodded "He almost hit the triad again. There could be complications from that along with everything else. Now it's a waiting game to see if he wakes up and monitoring his condition carefully. If all goes well we might be able to airlift him home soon." Katie looked him in the eyes "You said 'if', not 'when'..." Don replied "Yes, I did." Katie looked past him and out the window at the darkening sky, in the distance a rumble of thunder could be heard "I understand..."


	104. Chapter 104: The Scenic Route

**_Chapter 104: The Scenic Route_**

My right hand was wet. I could hear the steady beep-beep-beep of the vitals monitor. I felt terrible in general and I could feel that I had tubes and wires stuck in or on me, it was _very uncomfortable_. Every single inch of me hurt, or more correctly _would_ hurt if I wasn't heavily medicated. My mouth was as dry as a desert. I listened carefully to the distant voices; they were British for the most part. I opened my eyes slowly and shut them again. _Too bright!_ I gingerly opened them again just enough to see where I was. I was in hospital, an ICU by the looks of it. It wasn't Methodist, but another hospital. It seemed vaguely familiar somehow. I saw the reason why my hand was wet. Katie was asleep, here head resting lightly on my hand. Her reddened and puffy eyes told me she'd been crying. There was someone in another chair, it was Claire. She was asleep, too. Why was I here? I closed my eyes again and tried to remember. Oh, yes...there was a bomb on the platform Oxford Circus tube station...

**_JAMES!_**

Was he still alive? Was that why Katie was crying? Why was Claire here? She's in scrubs, not street clothes. I tried to speak but it came out as a soft, hoarse whisper "Water..." Katie's head rose up and looked at me, the expression on her face was mixture of joy and disbelief "What did you say, babycakes?" I tried again, it was hard "Water..." She kissed me "Oh my god! _You came back!_ I love you...let me get you something..." I watched her run over to Claire and shake her "He's awake! He wants water!" Claire popped out of her chair and said to Katie "Run down and get him some ice chips and tell them he's awake!" then she ran over to my bedside "How you feeling, boss?" I whispered "Horrible..." She looked at my vitals monitor and made a notation on my chart. "I'm not surprised. You've taken the scenic route through the valley of the shadow of death. I know you're going to ask so I'll present your case. You were involved in an explosion. Terrorist bomb. You were severely injured-multiple blunt force injuries to the left upper quadrant, three broken ribs, multiple shrapnel wounds, dislocated shoulder and a deep wound on your left calf. You laid there bleeding for about an hour before emergency services could get to you. When you were brought in you were near death from exsanguination. An emergency laparotomy was performed to alleviate the abdominal compartment syndrome. You had hit the lethal triad so you were packed and damage control protocol was carried out. While you were under damage control a team from Methodist was flown here, not only to take care of you but to assist with other patients. I know that you aren't aware of it but Oxford Circus was _not_ the only place that was bombed..._it's pretty bad_ but that can wait for later. When we reopened you, you almost bled out again and were asystolic for over two minutes. There is a whole laundry list of injuries you sustained, the highlights are you had a VSD, myocardial contusion, lacerated liver, we had to remove your spleen and left kidney. You also had a small piece of shrapnel in your spine, a deep wound to your left calf which nicked the posterior tibial artery. Yes, I did thoroughly examine the aorta and you lucked out on that-no signs of tears or any other defects or damage. I did have to repair a small tear in your inferior vena cava. You can read the notes to get the full 411 on it later. In a nutshell you're lucky to still be here." She laughed "**_I_** had to perform cardiac massage on you! Remember _that_ when you write my next review! Seriously, Martin, I am so glad that you're alive and awake. I'll deny it if you repeat this but you are the best boss I've ever had...and one of my best friends!" I smiled and whispered "Don't suck up...it's unbecoming of you..."She smiled "Oh yeah! _He's baaaaack!"_ Katie came back in with a cup of ice chips, I opened my mouth and she put one on my tongue "Here ya go, sweetie." I discovered that ice chips were, indeed, a vastly underrated treat. _So cool, so soothing, so refreshing..._

"James?" Katie popped another ice chip in my mouth then held my hand "He's fine! He's over at Ruth's, so are your parents and Louisa..." She didn't get farther than that because Chandra and a couple nurses came in followed by a registrar and some SHO's. They were followed a minute or two later by Foghorn and Don. Katie patted my hand and kissed my cheek "I'm going to step out for a couple of minutes so they can do the voodoo that they do. I'm in their way." Chandra looked at my chart then sanitized her hands, gloved up and started to examine me "Welcome back, Martin! I'm so glad you're awake! How are you feeling?" I replied "In general, horrible...no specific pains or discomforts. It's _all_ painful and uncomfortable..." She laughed "That's good...it beats the alternative." She lifted the dressings to inspect the incision; I looked down at it and sighed. It told me that I was lucky to still be here. It also told me that, more than likely, they had someone from plastics close the skin. It looked like Dakota's work. They hadn't had to go back in again and the incision was healing nicely...it looked four of five days old. I looked at Foghorn's grinning face and knew that he'd brought Dakota along to, and I could almost hear what he'd have said, 'Make sure that he doesn't end up with the nickname of Zippy'. As she continued to examine me I mentally totaled up what I knew of my condition so far. I was going to need rehab, probably be out of work for at least a month then on light duties until I was fully healed. No surgery for at least three months I'd guess, perhaps less depending on recovery. I wouldn't be able to lift the weights required nor be able to stand for hours at a time. Then it dawned on me, our holiday would have to be canceled. I wouldn't be able to help Katie sail the boat. That did _not_ make me happy; I was looking forward to it. I wanted to be at sea again...Out there life was _so simple_-all that existed out there was our boat, the sea, the sky, the wind, the creatures that dwelled in and on the sea, my family and me. It was a kind of Zen. Once we reached our destination it morphed into different kind of pleasurable simplicity where _nothing_ else but the here and now mattered.

Chandra gently shook me "Are you alright?" I replied "Yes...was just thinking." She smiled "You were probably thinking about recovery times. You've done quite well so far. There have been no complications. There is no sign of infection either internally or externally. Your remaining kidney, liver and all other organs are returning to normal functioning. Claire did an excellent job on your heart and vessel repair. In fact we're all quite pleased by your progress so far, we had expected you to be much worse off than you are. Currently I estimate that, if you continue on your present course, you'll be released from hospital within two weeks. You'll need rehab, of course, and home rest for at least a month. After that, depending on your progress, you'll be on light duties for a further six to eight weeks. All of this depends on you following your doctor's advice...I _know_ how you are, in this case _you_ are _the patient_, **_not_** _the doctor_. Try to remember that, Dr. Ellingham!" I smiled "Yes, _Dr. Patel_..." She laughed "Don't you 'Dr. Patel' me, young man! I know you're going to give me as much trouble as an unruly five year old. At least we won't have to worry about you doing some 'wheelchair jousting' like your wife did last year..." I was perplexed "Oh, that's right! No one _dared_ tell you about that one. Your wife and Dr. Smith were 'wheelchair jousting' in one of the hallways one day. They would propel themselves at each other in wheelchairs and use canes to try to hook one another." Claire laughed "What?! It was an excellent form of rehab-it provided light exercise and helped to rehabilitate and improve motor control and hand-eye coordination." I just closed my eyes, shook my head and sighed _"You two..." _Claire added "Gee..._thanks for busting me,_ _Chandra!_ There go my brownie points for the cardiac massage..." Chandra laughed "Anytime, hun! Well, we'll leave you in peace for a while Martin. I'm due in surgery right now and I'm sure Dr. Smith can make herself useful elsewhere. See you later and _welcome back!"_

Everyone but Foghorn and Don left, Katie came back in, sat down and held my hand in between feeding me ice chips. Don said "I called Ruth and gave her the good news. Your parents, Louisa and James are on their way over to see you. James has been especially worried about you. Ruth will be over later, someone has to stay with the twins. Robert will be stopping by when he has the chance, he's very busy. I know it's hard for you to speak at the moment so I'll give you an overview of what has occurred since the bombings. There were a total of twenty bombs exploded almost simultaneously around central London. Seven were in tube stations, the rest in various other places. It is apparent from the design of the bombs, the size of the explosives used and the pattern of detonation that the attack was intended to inflict mass casualties, mass terror along with causing secondary accidents and explosions that would kill and injure more. It shut down the entire city for two days-it was eerie, no one was on the streets and just about everything was closed. The only vehicle traffic was emergency vehicles, construction equipment, military vehicles, buses and some cabs. The underground was shut down and is operating with very limited service at the moment. The unofficial estimates are over 300 killed and two thousand wounded. There would've been more deaths if the response out of hospitals in the UK, Europe and the US had been slower. Many of those who are wounded will have physical and psychological problems for the rest of their lives. Many amputees."

"As you know I was at our house in Devon when this happened. Ruth and I were watching the coverage of it on TV when Katie called. We knew you'd picked up James but weren't sure of your location and hoped that you two had been spared. She told me all she knew from what James had told her and was worried that you were either dying or dead. I made some phone calls to try to find out if anyone had found you. When I spoke to Robert he had no information on you at that time but told me his and the rest of the hospitals situation-it was already dire and getting worse. I asked him if they wanted assistance. I could makes some calls and get personnel, equipment and supplies sent over from TMC and Mayo, at least, and probably other hospitals in the US. He said they'd take anything and anyone that we could provide-he knew that they would need it and the faster it could be arranged the faster it would get here. I told him to send me a list of specifics he needed at the moment and I'd arrange those right away and I'd work on logistics. I was about to call Foghorn when Katie's brother John called. He told me that his boss wanted to help and wondered if we needed airlift capacity, he had called the government but they hadn't given him a reply yet. I told him that I'd probably need one jet in Houston if he had one nearby and I'd call him back once I knew what else might be needed. He said he had a jet in Dallas and would send it down to Houston ASAP. While I was on that call Robert called me so John said to call him back once I knew what was needed where. Robert told me that you'd been found and gave me a synopsis on your condition. After that call I called Foghorn and briefed him on both your condition and the situation as a whole. He started making phone calls to arrange personnel, equipment and supplies to be sent from Houston while I made calls to those I knew with private jets in town. It became an avalanche of personnel, equipment and supplies-just about every major hospital in the US and Europe sent people, supplies and equipment."

"Ruth called your parents to let them know the situation and told them that we were going back to London soon. They made their way down from Windermere. Louisa came in from Cornwall to get James but decided to stay until they knew your situation and so James could see you. He's been very worried about you and upset about leaving you on the platform..." Don stopped for a moment. I had been listening and was becoming very upset by what I was hearing. _My poor son_..._he's going to be affected by this for the rest of his life_. I'm normally not a violent person but I wanted to _slowly kill_ _everyone_ involved with this attack. How could _anyone_ do something like this? Did they expect to make us surrender to their will? They don't know the British people very well if that's the case. I suspected that retribution was already being meted out both in and out of the country. I didn't want to hear anymore at the moment so I said "I'm sorry...I'm just tired..." Foghorn and Don stood up to leave. Foghorn said "We'll let you rest and stop by later...I'm glad your back with us among the living! Someone needs to keep Claire in line." I smiled and said "Thanks...I think..." They laughed and left. It was just me and Katie. She carefully sat on my bed, gave me a tender and loving kiss and caressed my cheek "I love you _so much_ and I'm _so glad_ you're back, too. I wasn't looking forward to being a widow with three small children." I closed my eyes and smiled, basking in the warmth of her love and soothed by her touch. Then the light bulb went off inside my head, I opened my eyes and I said "Three?" She smiled and nodded. "Yup! The only other person who knows is Don. I blurted it out while I was crying on his shoulder. He's been sworn to silence." She started to laugh "He asked me if we'd heard of a little thing called 'birth control', I told him we were practicing the 'pitch 'til you win' method. Apparently you're a _very good_ pitcher..." I tried to raise up to kiss her but couldn't, she bent down so I could put my good arm around her and kissed her. "I love you, Katherine Rose. _I always have and I always will."_ She smiled then turned thoughtful _"You know..." _I nodded "I know..._now_..." She asked "You went _there?"_ I nodded "Yes...I went _there_ and came back, just like you did long ago." She smiled then kissed me "After this let's just stay there. The chase has been fun but I'm tired of it and this world. I just want to be with you." I closed my eyes "Yes...I'm tired of it all, too. I don't want to be parted from you again." I lay there and slowly fell asleep, basking in the warmth of her love.

I dreamed.


	105. Chapter 105: Three Women

**_Chapter 105: Three Women_**

I woke to see Katie and Chandra talking in the hallway. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but judging by Katie's body language it was something that was making her happy. Katie walked off down the hallway and Chandra walked towards me. She saw that I was awake "Good afternoon, Martin! I just stopped by to see how you're doing before leaving for the day. Don, Ruth, Robert and Fiona are taking Jean and me out to dinner tonight. So...How are you doing?" I replied hoarsely "As well as can be expected, I guess. I feel horrible. I'm hungry but I know I can't have anything to eat...How long was I unconscious?" She looked at my vitals and made a few notations on my chart "It's good to hear that you're hungry. You're on the mend. I'll allow you some jello, or jelly as it's called here." She made a notation on my chart "You were unconscious for six days. We were becoming concerned that you weren't going to wake up." I nodded, I knew that sometimes patients never wake up after surgery and there's no apparent reason as to why they didn't. It just happens. "Where did Katie go? I saw you two talking in the hall right before you came in." Chandra smiled "She went down to Robert's office to fetch Louisa and James. They arrived about an hour ago but you were sleeping so Robert had them wait in his office until you woke up. The waiting rooms are crowded and some of the things going on down there are things James doesn't need to see. We're still losing people, it's gotten better but there are some that aren't going to make it no matter how hard we try. Louisa is a very nice woman, by the way. Claire and I talked to her for a while the other day."

She leaned over to whisper to me "I can see why you didn't want to come back to London to work, some of these people are consummate jerks! There is one woman that I _really_ want to take a scalpel to. Let's just put it this way...her arrogance and condescension towards us is _astounding_. She made it known to all of us her opinions on American methods of surgery, American methods of practicing medicine and on Americans in general. She called my husband an ignorant, inbred redneck! She was lucky that Claire didn't knock her on her ass for what she said to her, too!" I sighed "I understand. I hope you told Robert about this; he won't tolerate it and will put her in her place. What is this person's name?" Chandra sighed "Some vagina squad member named Edith Montgomery." I moaned "_Oh god_ _no..."_ Chandra was alarmed and looked at my vitals "Are you alright?" I sighed "Yes...To paraphrase something my beautiful wife would say; _she is the poster child for the adage 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned._'. I was once engaged to Edith. It was long ago when we were in med school. Don't feel bad, most of the people here would like to take a scalpel to her, too. In fact if you did they would applaud you." Chandra chuckled "So _that_explains it. I was standing at the nurses' station with Claire and Jean talking and making notes. She walked up to me, grabbed your chart out of my hands with a sneer and started walking into your room. I asked her who the _hell_ she thought she was and she told me. I told her that she had no business examining you because you _obviously_ were not an ob/gyn patient. The argument became rather heated, that's when she insulted Jean and Claire. She insulted me, too. She said "Isn't there a call centre in India who is missing an employee?" She finally backed down when I asked the ward sister to call security to have her removed." I shook my head "Did Katie see her?" She replied "No...she was sleeping in a chair next to you holding your hand. Speaking of, I hope she'll go and get some proper sleep now that you're awake. She only goes home for an hour or two at a time to feed the twins and play with them a bit, otherwise she's here. The last day or two she's been looking pale...I think the stress is getting to her." I smiled "She's pregnant again..." Chandra's jaw dropped "WHAT?!" I nodded and she gave me a peck on the cheek "Congratulations! Well, that explains a good part of that. Even more reason why she needs to get some rest, she might lose it if she doesn't." I replied "I know...and will try tell her but you know how hardheaded she can be." Chandra laughed "Ain't _that_ the truth!"

"Daddy?"

I looked towards where the voice came from and saw Louisa, Katie and James standing in the hallway. Chandra said "Come on in, young Dr. Ellingham. Just be careful not to get tangled up in the wires or tubes. I'll be on my way, I've got to get ready for dinner. Nice to see you again, Louisa!" Chandra left and James walked gingerly over to me, I said "Come on up on my right hand side so I can give you a hug." Louisa picked him up and sat him down next to me "Be careful, James..." I put my good arm around him hugged him as best I could. "I'm so glad to see you! I love you, son!" He started to cry "I'm sorry!" I hugged him as tight as I could "There's _nothing_ to be sorry about...you were _very brave_." Louisa handed him a couple tissues and sat down next to Katie. I said "Look at me, James...What you did was _very brave_ and you shouldn't be upset, you should be proud of yourself. _You saved my life._ You did what I needed you to do and you did it well. You followed instructions and got _all of us_ the help we needed. I'm going to tell you the truth..._I knew I was dying_. Remember when I asked you to run your hand down my left side? That told me I had massive blunt force trauma injuries and was bleeding internally along with the cut to my leg. I knew I was bleeding out and I needed you to get help soon or I would die. You kept your head about you and ran through the smoke and the fire to get it. I've been told by more than one person that if you had not told the rescuers _exactly_ where I was, what I was wearing and looked like and the nature of my injuries I would not be here, a lot of other people wouldn't be here either. Your report on the conditions down there and where I was allowed them to enter the station much faster than they would have, you gave them the information they needed to act quickly. In many cases rescuers will discount what they are told by children because those children are crying, hysterical and inaccurate. You were calm and gave them an accurate report of what was going on down there." His tears started to lessen but he was still upset "You look so sick..." I tried to smile as best I could to reassure him "Yes, I know I must look frightful right now but in reality I'm doing quite well. In a couple of months all that will remain is a big scar on my chest, the one on my leg and some little ones on my back. It's a small price to pay for being alive and well..."

There was a commotion out in the hallway which made us all turn to look. I heard a voice say "_**STOP!**_ You are _not_ allowed to see that patient, Ms. Montgomery. If you persist I will call security." Another voice I recognized quite well said with a sneer in her voice "How _dare_ _you_ try to tell _me_ what I _can_and _cannot_ do? I am a consultant, you are _just a nurse_. I'll have your job for this if you persist!" Louisa and Katie both looked at me, they both _knew_ that voice. Katie muttered under her breath "_dumb bitch_..." then said with a smile that told me she was going to _relish_ what she was about to do "It sounds like Hurricane Edith has made landfall. Excuse me for a moment..." Before she could get up out of the chair Edith appeared in the doorway "Hello, Ellingham...I see Miss Spikey is here and I'm going to guess the other is _that American_ you married..." Katie stood up and said "Yup, that's me!" Then she grabbed her by the shirt and dragged her out of the room. We all looked at each other in surprise as we heard what sounded like Edith being slammed into the wall, Edith saying rather loudly _"How __dare__ you!"_ followed by what sounded like a couple more slams into the wall. The sound told me that Katie was bouncing her off the walls as she dragged her down the hall "Shut _up_, _you dumb ass bitch_..." I saw a flash of black run by the door, it was Claire. I started to laugh "_Stupid woman, I'd thought she would have known better by now_..._OW_...it hurts to laugh..." James was very confused "Why did Katie get mad and drag that woman out of the room? Who is she?" I sighed "It's a _very_ _long story_..." James asked "What are Katie and Claire going to do to her?" I flashed Louisa a look that said _'stay out of it unless you want to get hurt' _then said to James "I think Katie and Claire are going to, as Katie would put it, 'go all Chinstrap on her'." He replied "What does that mean?" I smiled "Remember the video Katie showed you of that big fight between the two penguins?" he nodded "Remember what _kind_ of penguin they were?" He giggled as it dawned on him what was happening "They were Chinstraps! Can I go watch? I've seen girls fight before but I don't think Katie and Claire fight like girls." I smiled "No, they _don't _and, no, you _can't_ go and watch."

What happened next would become a story long told within the surgical community...


	106. Chapter 106: Well, OK then

**_Chapter 106: Well, OK then..._**

When Katie had bounced Edith down the hall far enough that she was reasonably sure that James would be out of earshot she stopped and held her up against the wall. By that time Claire had shown up "What's going on?" Katie banged Edith against the wall and said "Remember me telling you about that stalker bitch that Martin has had to put up with for decades? This is her!" Claire smiled "Dumb bitch doesn't know when to quit, does she? I'm here to back you up, you may proceed with the ghetto beatdown!" Katie smiled at her then turned to Edith and bounced her off the wall again. "I _told you_ to leave us alone and stay the hell out of our lives. What part of that did you not understand? Do I need to beat your head against the wall a couple more times to get it through your clown haired covered skull that he wants nothing to do with you and can't stand the sight of you? One would have thought you'd have picked up on that rather obvious clue back when he dumped your bony ass off at the train station in Bodmin in the middle of the night. I know what you did that made him dump you there, by the way. _You cruel, evil, heartless bitch!_ You must get some form of sadistic pleasure out of tormenting him and trying to destroy everything that makes him happy, too. Louisa is a nice person and you made her life miserable, now you're trying to make mine a living hell. Louisa didn't know how to fight you, I DO! _I __WILL_ protect my family and if that means that I have to beat the ever living shit out of you to do so I will and _I will enjoy it!" _Edith started to speak but Katie slammed her up against the wall again..._hard_. It knocked the wind out of Edith and left her stunned. "SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE! I don't want to hear anything out of you, _not one peep__!_ I am now going to tell you what I require out of _you and you will do it. _You stay out of our lives and everyone else that we love lives. _You are to have no further contact in any way, shape or form with __any__ of us_-that includes us, our family, relatives or friends, Louisa, James and their family or any of their relatives or friends. While Martin is in this hospital you _will_ stay off the floor he is on, you are not to contact him in any way, shape of form. He doesn't need that kind of stress right now. That includes using your friends, _if you even have them,_ or other employees or persons to do so. If I even _suspect_ you of attempting to do so _I __will_ come after you..."

Edith saw an opening and tried to gouge out Katie's eyes with her immaculately manicured fingernails knowing that her adversary would instinctually protect them and release her. When Katie tried to defend herself she broke free and ran towards the stairs, Katie and Claire followed. "Cut her off, Claire!" In that moment Edith learned the value of having practical footwear because Claire sprinted ahead and blocked the doorway to the staircase. She was trapped. Katie heard someone running up behind her and turned to see who it was, it was Louisa "Go back..." as she did Edith went after her eyes again. Katie turned on her and punched her in the face with such force that they all could hear her bones breaking and Edith dropped like a rock. Louisa stopped in her tracks and her jaw dropped. Claire laughed _"Nice one!_ She's going to be eating her meals through a straw for the next couple of months." Katie smiled "That was _satisfying!_ Never bring fingernails to a fist fight..._dumb bitch!"_

Claire walked over and inspected the cuts on Katie's face "She got you good! Came real close to your left eye..." Just as she said that Robert, Foghorn and Don rounded the corner with a couple of security guards. Robert saw Claire examining Katie, there was blood all over her face and shirt, Edith lay unconscious on the floor and said "What in the _HELL_ is going on here?" Louisa said shakily "She came into Martin's room and started insulting us. Katie physically removed her. I stayed in the room for a while with Martin and James then came out to find out why Katie hadn't come back and saw Edith attack Katie. Katie hit her in self-defense...I...I need to go back, James is in there with Martin." Robert nodded and Louisa ran back to the room as Foghorn examined Edith. He said to the security guards "Get some help from the nurses' station and a detail from A&E up here now. Immediately now." Robert asked "How is she?" Foghorn replied "Out cold, which is a good thing. I don't think she'd be able to stand the pain. Mandible is broken in one, maybe two, places. Probably lost a couple teeth, doesn't appear to have aspirated them. Hard to tell what else there might be with all the swelling and without scans." Foghorn looked at Katie sternly "I have _one_ question for you, _young lady_...Did you put your weight behind it?" Katie replied "Yup, though I was a bit off-balance." Foghorn stood up and smiled "Well, OK then...we'd better get some ice on that hand. Remind me never to get into a fist fight with you...you don't hit like a girl!" Robert rubbed his eyes and sighed "I'm satisfied that this was self-defense. There will have to be a police report filed, of course. I will deny I _ever_ said this but _nicely done!_ She's had something like this coming for a _very long time_." Claire started to lead Katie down the hall "Let's get you cleaned up...you're going to need a stitch or two on that gouge under your left eye. Hey, I could let James do it! He'd enjoy that!" Katie started to laugh "Oh yeah! He'd have a big time doing it! _OWW!_ It hurts when I laugh..." Claire turned and called down the hall to Foghorn "Is Dakota around? Might want to have her come and take a look at her face." Foghorn took his phone out "Where you taking her?" Claire replied "Back to Martin's room for now. He's probably getting all stressed out not knowing how she is."

I could hear Claire and Katie chattering to each other as they approached "...I'll never get the blood stains out of this...It's one of my favorite shirts..." Louisa had already told James and me what she had witnessed and I was afraid, it sounded like she had been lucky not to lose an eye. When she came in James exclaimed "WOW! Did you really knock her out?" She smiled "She's laid out on the floor right now." I shook my head and sighed "_Oh, Katie_..." She smiled "I'm OK...it looks worse than it is. My shirt is ruined, though." I patted the bed "Come here, sweetheart...let me take a good look at you." As she walked over to me Claire said "I'm going to get some ice for her hand and eye. Foghorn is sending Dakota up. She's going to need a couple of stitches and he didn't think you'd want James doing them." She sat on the bed and said with a satisfied smile "I broke her jaw in two places according to Foghorn!" I looked at her face, there were some deep gouges that would probably leave scars and the one under her eye was especially troubling. "Let me see your eye..." She leaned down and kissed me gently "This close enough?" I kissed her back "Yes...that's going to need two stitches. You may also have a corneal abrasion." I took her hand in mine and examined it, it was starting to swell but there didn't appear to be any damage "I'm the one that's supposed to protect you, sweetheart, not the other way around..." She smiled "We protect each other, my love. In this case none of us needed the stress of her odious presence, you weren't able to so I removed it. Hopefully permanently." James giggled "Daddy said you were going to go fight her like those penguins in the video you showed me. I wish I could have watched it but mummy and daddy wouldn't let me." Claire returned with the ice and antiseptic wipes "Come over here and we'll fix you up. Dakota is getting set up to stitch you up and see what she can do about those gouges." Katie walked back to her chair and sat down. Before Claire started to attend to her she took out her phone and snapped a few photos "For the cops and blackmail purposes..." Then she started cleaning the wounds, as she did so Katie said to James "There was very little to see, really. She went for my eyes and I punched her in the face..._OW!_ That hurts!" Claire chuckled "_Suck it up!_ You've been hit worse..." She took out an ophthalmoscope and looked into her eyes "Looks OK, no abrasions on the cornea or other injuries...gonna have a shiner, though." Dakota walked in "Wow! She really nailed you good...pun intended! Let's go fix your face, hun!" Katie and Claire got up and followed Dakota.

After they left James came over and climbed up on the bed and laid down next to me, his head resting on my good shoulder. "Am I hurting you, daddy?" I kissed his head "No son...it feels good." I put my arm around him and comforted him. He had been through so much in one short week-a terrorist attack that almost killed his father, overwhelmed by days of fear, worry and confusion in the aftermath and now he was trying to understand what just happened between Katie and Edith. Louisa whispered "Is he asleep?" I looked down at his face and nodded. She got up and put one of the spare blankets over him and sat in the chair next to us. Louisa said "He's been _so worried_ about you. It's good to see him sleep so peacefully." I gently tucked the blanket in and put my arm around him again "I'm heartsick over all of this. _I feel so bad._ What can we do to help him deal with all of this?" She smiled "We're off to a good start. His biggest problem has been worrying that you would die and feelings of guilt that he left you down on the platform and ran. I know you told him to but he still has borne a great burden over it. Seeing you alive has done wonders, what you said to him earlier has helped greatly, too. Everyone has been telling him essentially the same thing but he _needed_ to hear it from you." I sighed "This will affect him for the rest of his life, it can't be undone." She replied "No, but it doesn't mean that it will be a bad thing. Yes, he's lived through and seen things that no one his age should ever see. All of us over at Ruth's have been helping him deal with all this and he's been responding positively to the discussions we've had. He did have nightmares the first two nights but hasn't had any since and that is a good thing. He's getting over what he's seen, his last worry has been that his father was going to die. He loves you very much, you know." She stood up "You both need a nap so I'm going to find Katie and Claire." I replied "Yes...That sounds good. I _am_ feeling tired." She left and I gently stroked James's hair as he slept, soon I drifted off to sleep, too.

About a half an hour later Katie and Louisa came back to the room to find father and son sleeping soundly. Katie said "That is a beautiful sight to see after the events of the week." Louisa agreed "Yes, it is. James needs this." Katie quietly stepped into the room and grabbed her purse and jacket "I'm going to head back to Ruth's. The twins will need their dinner soon and I do need to spend some time with them before they forget who I am. Besides, Ruth and Martin's parents need to be cut loose from babysitting duty. When Martin wakes up tell him I'll see him tomorrow." Louisa replied "I will. Soon as James wakes up we'll head back to Ruth's, too. I'll call you before we leave to see if you need anything picked up." Katie smiled "Hey! All the 'grownups' are going to be gone tonight, maybe we should have a slumber party. I don't know if they have those over here but it's basically sit around in our jammies, talk, watch movies and eat popcorn and stuff." Louisa smiled "I haven't done anything like that since college! It sounds like fun and James would enjoy it. We can plan our holiday trip, too." Katie replied "Sounds like a plan! Well, I'm off, see you later!"


	107. Chapter 107: Words Can Be Dangerous

**_Chapter 107: Words Can Be Dangerous_**

I was awakened by an SHO and a team of nurses. "We're sorry to have awakened you. We need to examine you and change your dressings." Louisa and James had gone "Where are Louisa and James?" One of the nurse replied "They left an hour or so ago, Mr. Ellingham. Mrs. Melbury did ask us to tell you that they would be back tomorrow. Your parents are here, they went off to have a coffee while we perform our duties." I nodded and watched them as they worked. I finally saw the wound on my leg as they changed the dressings, it was healing nicely but I knew that it would be months before I got that leg back into shape and started to think about rehabilitation regimes. I was going to have a nasty scar, too. I smiled as I heard what Katie might say about it in my mind "Damn...now I'll never get you into a kilt! And I just bought a pair of mirror shoes, too..." I thought of what I'd say back to her "I don't know why you bothered with the mirror shoes, you've already seen _that_..." As they finished Dr. Saunders said "Everything is healing up nicely, Mr. Ellingham...Do you prefer Mister or Doctor, sir? I know you now work in America where the term Doctor is used for all." I replied "It makes no difference, either title is appropriate." The nurses gently raised me up which hurt a lot "Sorry...we need to examine and change the dressings on the wounds to your back and to change the sheets." They worked carefully and swiftly and soon they were done. The nurses took away the old dressings and the sheets while Dr. Saunders made notations on my chart. When he was finished he picked up a large manila envelope "Dr. Patel left this for you. It is a copy of the emergency services, A&E and surgical notes pertaining to your case." I took the envelope "Thank you."

I started to read the notes. The picture they painted was a grim one...if these notes belonged to a patient of mine I'd estimate their chances of full recovery at less than 10%. I was about to start on the surgical notes when my parents came back. My father said "Hello, son! It's nice to see you back amongst the living." My mother asked "How are you feeling?" I set the notes down "About as well as can be expected. It's going to be a long road back..." She replied "Yes, I suppose it will be but you'll accomplish it. We talked to Dr. Nimitz for a moment while we were having coffee and he told us he's already been in contact with someone named Grant about your rehabilitation. He said he'd be up to see you when he had a chance." I smiled at this bit of news because if they've already talked to Grant about me I knew I was in for it. My father asked "What are you smiling about?" I replied "Grant is an ex-Marine drill instructor who usually works with sports stars, musicians and other high profile clients. There is no one better at it but he drives people _hard_ and gets results. He handled Katie's rehabilitation and she wanted to kill him on one or two occasions." My father chuckled "You'll probably want to kill him once or twice, too, by the time all is said and done. In the end I suspect you'll not only be fully recovered but be in very good shape otherwise." My mother was looking for something in her purse, when she had found what she was looking for she stood up "Katie gave me this to give to you. She had forgotten to with all that occurred earlier." She handed me my wedding band. "She has your watch, too. It was damaged in the explosion and has taken it to be repaired. I tried to read the inscription in the band but it's in a language I don't understand. What does it say?" I raised my left hand enough to slide it back on. I touched and looked at it for a moment; it felt good to have it on again. Life was starting to get back to normal. "It says in English 'If you trust nothing else, trust this. Trust us.'" I thought for a moment as I looked at it and said "Damn...We were going to celebrate our first wedding anniversary when I got home from picking James up. My gift to her is locked up in my office safe." My father said "You've two have had a stressful year. You've become parents. She was in that accident, you've been through a terrorist attack." I sighed "We've been through a lot...I was hoping that things would get back to normal for us. She's finally back to full health after the accident and giving birth, now she's going to have to go through helping me recover from this. I was really looking forward to our holiday, too. I guess that's out now..." My mother smiled "Don't be so sure of that. Your wife is working on it. The more I get to know her, the more amazed I am by her." I perked up at this bit of news "What's she up to? She hasn't mentioned anything to me about this." She replied "I'm sorry...I suppose I shouldn't have mentioned anything about it but I wanted to cheer you up after what you just said. I'll say no more about it, I don't know much more than she's trying to work it out so you can go..." A nurse came in and said "I'm sorry, visiting hours are over..." My parents stood up to leave, as they did so my father said "We'll come by tomorrow to see you and we'll talk more then. We are both relieved to see you awake and on the mend. Goodnight, son!" I replied "Goodnight...see you tomorrow!" I was tired and fell asleep soon after they left. I dreamed of the beautiful lagoon on the opposite side of the world where nothing else mattered.

* * *

Back at Ruth's house Katie, Louisa and the children settled in for their 'slumber party'. The twins had been fed, bathed, changed, cuddled, read to, sung to and were tucked up in their cot and sound asleep. James had taken his bath and was in his pajamas as were Katie and Louisa. The popcorn had been made, the movie selected and they all curled up on the couch to watch it. James fell asleep about half way through it and Katie and Louisa picked him up and tucked him into bed. As they returned to the sitting room Louisa smiled "He's seen that movie so many times I knew he'd fall asleep halfway through it. He needs to sleep." Katie laughed "You're a smart woman, Louisa! Now, let's get to work!" They cleaned up the sitting room then adjourned to the kitchen with their laptops. Katie said "I talked to Chandra and Karl today. They both said that if Martin does well on his rehabilitation they saw no reason why he couldn't go on holiday as planned. The only caveat they both had is that he couldn't exert himself too much-no heavy lifting, that sort of thing. I described the activities we engage in while we are there; they had no problems with them and said that they would be good for him as long as he took it easy. The one thing they did have a problem with was him sailing the boat. I told them that in this case I'd be the one handling that. Sure, I might let him take the helm for a while but everything else I would do. He can sit while manning the helm so if his leg starts to bother him while he's doing so he can sit down. That way he won't get frustrated, you know how he can get when he's frustrated." Louisa laughed as she pulled up her notes on her laptop "Yeah, I _do know_ how he can be when he's frustrated! The question is will you be able to handle it?" Katie laughed "Hun, I sailed her alone through the Southern Ocean for a year and the 'Isilme' and I have done the Akaroa to Aitutaki run so many times she could almost sail herself there. It'll be no problem! Martin can watch the twins and work on his research project or other paperwork while I do the sailing. That, along with letting him take a watch or two at the helm should keep him both occupied and satisfied. I suspect he'll be sleeping a lot, too. He'll still be healing from his surgery and will need to rest."

Louisa smiled "OK, that's sorted! Now, we should start making lists of things we need to get and planning activities for the children, menus and such. As I see it the main activities for the older children will mostly consist of swimming, snorkeling, Kitesurfing, fishing along with general play and exploration of the island. We'll need to pick up the necessary equipment for those and we'll be bringing some of their toys and other items from home, too. Now...do we arrange all the equipment we'll need here and take it along or do we pick it up in New Zealand?" Katie started laying out a set of lists on her laptop "Hmmm...I think it would be best to get them here and take them along. That store here in London where we bought Martin's things at last year has an excellent selection and has everything we'll need in an afternoon of one stop shopping. That way it'll be done and you can just relax and travel about New Zealand while we're sailing the boat. You think that Stephan and the children could come up to London this weekend? That way we could get everything and have it all ready to go. The kids aren't going to outgrow them between now and then." Louisa made a notation on one of her lists "I'll call him tomorrow morning, it shouldn't be a problem. You'll get to meet Kate and Kate and the twins will get to meet each other. Stephan and the children will enjoy it and James and I can ride back on the train with them." Katie said "I can see if that suite is available at the Dorchester or find a comparable one at another hotel, that way they all could come up for the entire weekend and enjoy it. It would be too many people to put in here and Ruth would have to give us permission anyway. I think she'd feel that it would be too stressful for all. You and James also need a bit of a break from 'the grownups'." Louisa nodded and smiled "I agree, that would be a better idea. You know what traveling with babies is like now." In the aftermath of the attacks hotel bookings were way down and the suite was available so Katie reserved it. They then looked at the store's website to see what they had in stock and started making lists of what they needed to pick up.

Once that was done they made some tea and started on the next item on the agenda. Katie sipped her tea then asked "Are we going to have the older children camp out on the beach? When we discussed this before they had said they wanted to. Has that changed?" Louisa smiled as she set her cup down "No, if anything they're more excited about it." Katie said "OK...I'll make sure that I bring the tent. I will inspect it before we leave and refresh the seam sealer on it. We won't have to get a lot of other gear for that. I'd thought about getting them individual sleeping pads but think that it might be better to just get a big foam mattress pad, cut it to fit the interior and make a cover for it out of some water resistant canvas. They won't need sleeping bags, those would be too warm." She opened up a page on her browser "I think these would be ideal. They're sleeping bag liners. The fabric is a silk and cotton blend, machine washable. Easy for them to deal with-they just turn them inside out and shake any sand they might've gotten into them and fold them. We can pick up two for each of them and rotate them out as they get dirty. Those, along with pillows and some fleece throws in case then want a blanket and they should be more than comfortable. I've got enough lanterns and torches so they'll have plenty of light at night." Louisa nodded "We'll be bringing some games for them along with their tablets and such. Though, I suspect, they will be doing so much during the day that they'll fall asleep soon after the sun goes down." She thought for a moment "How will they get back on board if the need to use the loo or if there's a thunderstorm?" Katie replied "I'm going to back the boat in. I usually just run her up by the bow but this way the steps will be almost on land. I can't put the stern on land because of the rudders but I'll run a gangplank between the steps and the beach. We'll just leave the step lights and the red nightlights under the Bimini and in the saloon on at night so they can see."

They decided that menu planning could wait for later so Louisa made another pot of tea while Katie put away their laptops. They took their cups and adjourned to the sitting room. Louisa took a sip of tea and sighed "Ahh...this feels _so good!_ It's been a bad week for all of us. How's your eye?" Katie smiled "It hurts and my vision is still a bit fuzzy from all the swelling. It was worth it, though." Louisa looked at the tea in her cup "I could've never done what you did. Edith always intimidated me and I could never be as _violent_ as you were. _You scared me."_ Katie smiled "I wasn't being violent; I was making a point physically. Trust me...If I was truly being 'violent' with her she'd have a _lot_ more wrong with her than just a broken jaw. She had been told not to go anywhere near Martin or any of us by Robert-he knew she'd cause trouble, she chose to ignore his order. What was I supposed to do? Sit there and listen to her as she spewed her poison and hurt everyone in that room? The security staff would've taken what? Five...ten minutes to show up to physically remove her and that would've caused one hell of a scene in front of James. The doctors and nurses on the floor weren't going to challenge her outside of making noises that she laughed at. Just think of some of the things she might have said in James's presence for a moment...about Martin...about you...about me...Things that would be _very difficult_ to explain to James. _That_ was what I was thinking about when I grabbed her and hauled her off. The damage her words could've caused to him might be worse than all the other things he's gone through this week. Martin didn't need to hear her poison or have to deal with the pain and stress she would cause, either... _What people tend to forget is that words are the most violent and dangerous weapons of all._ I was not going to allow her to use that weapon so I physically removed her, she was the one who chose to become violent and draw blood. If what happened today makes me a bad person then _so be it_. I don't care, I was protecting my family from a rabid animal. With people like Edith playing by 'the rules of society' is a useless endeavor; they laugh at you behind your back and keep on going until they get what they want. You generally have to get physical with them before they finally get the clue. _They have to fear you_. Edith knows she can push Martin around which is why she has ignored his wishes for so long-she knows he is a gentleman who 'plays by the rules'. You and I both know that deep down inside he is a giant, gentle, sensitive teddy bear who wants to love and be loved. I think she figures that if she pushes him enough along with pushing everyone he loves away from him that eventually he'll come back to her. Don't take this the wrong way but she knew it would be easy to push_ you_ around. In her mind you're just a schoolteacher from some backwater who doesn't know how to play at her level and wouldn't have the strength to stand up to her if you tried. She discovered today that I'm a much more formidable opponent."

Louisa looked at Katie "I think I now understand why you did what you did-_I don't like it_, _but I understand it._ In retrospect she could have done _a lot of damage_ to James emotionally and psychologically in a very short time. James doesn't know _anything_ about what happened between Martin and me while I was pregnant with him or when he was a baby. Ye gods...if she had mentioned _that conversation_ Martin and I had outside the surgery the day I came back from London...Oh, I don't even want to think about that! Knowing her she'd frame it as Martin _demanding_ I abort him! What would James think if he heard that his father wanted me to kill him? I don't think any of us could explain it all to him in terms he'd understand. All that would be in his mind is that his father did not want him, even though that was **_never_** the case." Katie replied "Yes...she is a heartless bitch who doesn't care who and what she has to destroy to get what she wants. Even a little boy...even her own child." Louisa was surprised "I didn't know Edith had any children." Katie looked at the tea in her cup "She doesn't as far as I know. The only child I know she ever had she aborted at ten weeks. It was Martin's. She has used that little tidbit of information as a weapon against him and it still affects him deeply. The thought of her mentioning something like that in front of James in conjunction with the conversation you mentioned...well, that's when I decided that she _had_ to be shut up no matter what-there was no time to wait for someone to come and remove her." A tear rolled down Louisa's cheek and she said in a quiet voice "I never knew about that...poor Martin! Oh god, what a mess that would've been if she said something like that in front of James." Katie said "Think what it would've done to Martin, too. He's very fragile physically; he needs to keep his spirits up in order to recover. Hearing something like that being said in front of his son, a son he loves so deeply that he almost gave up his life for him this week, would be like sticking a dagger into his heart."

They were silent for some time, lost in their thoughts. Louisa said softly "I always knew there was a gentle teddy bear inside him, I just couldn't reach it. I'd get glimpses of it but something would happen-constant interruptions, he'd say or do something that made me angry and I'd stomp off or I'd say or do something that he'd take in the wrong way and his defenses would go up again." She looked at the photo of Joan on the mantel and sighed "Joan was right, we were chalk and cheese. I know that now." Katie gave her a hug "It's OK...we've _all_ been down that road but by doing so we learn and grow. I went down that road once, too...well, it wasn't a road per se. It was more of a snowshoe trail." Louisa's curiosity was piqued _"Oh, really_..." She sat up like a child waiting to be told a story "So, who _was_ it?" Katie smiled wistfully "His name was Euan MacLeod. I met him the summer before my senior year of college. By that time I was flying again trying to make some spare cash so I could pay for flight school. I decided by then that a degree in Geology was wonderful but it wasn't going to pay the bills, at least not like high latitude flying does. I was working in Canada that summer and the RCMP hired me to fly a backcountry Mountie and his annual supplies to his cabin on Rabbitkettle Lake. I sat there at the Yellowknife Waterdome waiting for this guy and his supplies to show up. Holy crap, _did he ever show up!_ I'd expected some grizzled older guy, what I was _not_ expecting was some guy that was my age...tall...built like a brick, um, house...dark copper hair...drop dead gorgeous. To make a long story short I flew him and his supplies to his cabin and ended up staying there with him for the rest of the summer when I wasn't flying-I still had contracts to fulfill. When it came time for me to go back to school we promised each other that we'd write to each other or talk via ham radio. The nearest phone was a couple hundred miles away so calling each other was out-there were no satellite phones back then. I graduated from college and spent the next summer with him. _It was wonderful!_ Then he asked me to marry him...and I said no." Louisa was surprised "Why didn't you want to marry him?" Katie poured herself another cup of tea and sighed "I didn't want to end up like my mother raising a couple of kids in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere. Not that there is anything wrong with that, my mother was a happy person and loved living where she did. At that time I wanted to see the world, I wanted to live in places that had central heating, flush toilets and pizza that would be delivered to my door. I'd spent my whole life in the wilderness and knew that I'd be going back to it eventually-not as someone's wife but as a bush pilot. Most importantly I was in love with someone else, but he didn't know it." Louisa took a sip of her tea "Do you know what happened to him?" Katie replied "As far as I know he's still there. He did get married about five years after we broke up and they had two children. I haven't heard from him in a couple of years, he probably doesn't know where I am. He probably thinks I'm still in New Zealand. Oh, before you ask...Yes, Martin knows about him."

Louisa sighed "I need to do something to get my mind off of what Edith might have said if she had the chance. Want to go back to menu planning?"


	108. Chapter 108: Pick One!

**_Chapter 108: Pick One!_**

The incident with Edith and its aftermath has proved to be devastating, especially for my wife. The next day Edith tried to press charges, after the police investigated the incident they decided to drop the charges-they, like Robert, were satisfied that it was an act of self-defense. They, in turn, were drawing up charges against Edith. The 'grownups', as Katie called them, were aghast by what she had done and Katie spent most of the next afternoon being reproached and pilloried by them. After a morning of being grilled by the police, an afternoon of being reproached by the 'grownup's' then the big row we had over it when she came to visit me afterwards she spent the rest of the evening in her room at Ruth's avoiding everyone. Early the next morning before the others woke up she took the twins and left. She left them a note:

_Dear all,_

_I am sorry that I have upset all of you and the harmony of your home by my actions. To avoid causing further distress to everyone I've decided that the best thing for all is for me to leave. I thank you for your kindness and generosity and am sorry that I've offended you._ _I have my reasons why I did what I did._

_I do love you all and thank you for everything you've done for us. Perhaps someday we will meet again under different, and more pleasant, circumstances._

_Katie_

When Louisa found this out she became angry "I sat there and listened to all of you verbally beat her up yesterday _worse than __anything__ she did to Edith_. She _did_ have her reasons for doing what she did and they were very good ones-she was trying to protect James from hearing some very ugly things that would have done terrible damage to him and to _all of us_. I didn't like what she did any more than the lot of you did but once she explained why she did it _I __understood__ it_. You didn't give her a chance to explain it to you. Instead you refused to listen to her, shut her down and acted as judge, jury and executioner. She said to me last night '_What people tend to forget is that words are the most violent and dangerous weapons of all.'_ I saw a fine example of that yesterday-out of you and judging by her behavior after coming back from visiting Martin I'd guess she'd been verbally beaten up by him, too. _No one in all of this seems to have thought about how she's been feeling._ She tries hard to keep a calm and cheerful exterior but all of this has been tearing her apart inside. I'm not surprised that she's gone, I just hope she's OK." Louisa tried to call her, every call went to voice mail and her mailbox was full so she couldn't leave a message. She tried texting her and received a message that she had disabled her text service. She tried sending her email and they were bounced back as undeliverable. Katie had gone off the grid and could be anywhere.

While that was going on at Ruth's I woke up to find an envelope on my table. I opened it to find a short, and tear stained, note.

_My love,_

_I am __so __sorry__ I've upset you and made you angry with me. All I wanted to do was protect the people I love. _

_Always __remember that I love you._

_Katie_

The tone of her note felt ominous so I picked up my phone and tried to call Katie, the call went to voicemail so I called Ruth. Ruth answered in a very controlled voice "Hello Martin. How are you feeling today?" I replied "I'm good...I _need_ to talk to Katie but her phone sends me to voicemail. Is she there?" Ruth sighed "No, she took the twins and left early this morning before we woke up." I guessed there was more to her leaving then taking the twins for a walk in the park "Left for the morning?" Ruth said with some sadness in her voice "No, apparently she has left for good. We don't know where she has gone. We've been trying to contact her but she has shut everything down-phone, voicemail, text and email." I was worried "Did she say anything or leave a note?" Ruth replied "She left a note..." I could hear her moving around "Here it is...I'll read it to you..." She then read me the contents of her note. When she had finished I said nothing-my heart was breaking and in my mind were two words-_she's gone..._"Martin, are you still there?" I replied weakly "Yes..." Ruth said "I'm so sorry. I suspect that she became so overwhelmed by everything yesterday that she needed to get away from it all and from all of us. I'm afraid that we were all quite harsh with her and that might've been the straw that finally broke the camel's back. As Louisa pointed out to us a few minutes ago she has been so calm and cool during the events of the last couple of weeks that _none of us_ took thought to how it might be affecting her behind the façade she had erected. In retrospect I should have taken that into consideration and for that I am truly sorry. We are going to try to find her but by now she could be anywhere. I called to see if any cabs had been sent to our house and found out that she had called for one a little after 4am. Don is making calls trying to find out if she's left the country. If there is no record of her doing so we'll start searching for her here. Don't worry, we _will_ find her. If she shows up at the hospital please let us know." I replied "Yes...I will. I'll ask Claire and Chandra if they've talked to her, too..." I didn't want to talk to her anymore so I said to Ruth "I'm tired...think I'll go back to sleep." After we hung up I lay there with my eyes closed trying to send a message to her in my mind "Katie...come back, sweetheart...I love you..." I drifted back to sleep repeating that mantra. I dreamed once again of that blue lagoon on the opposite side of the world where nothing else matters. Except there was something that _did _matter a great deal, I was there alone. I searched for Katie and couldn't find her. The boat wasn't there, either. Nothing was there except sea, sky and white sand. No palm trees, no fish in the water, no birds in the sky. It was empty of life.

A hand shook me awake, as it did so I felt the tears on my face. I opened my eyes to see Claire's face "Martin, are you alright?" I replied "No..._Katie's_ _gone_..." She looked very concerned "Gone? Gone how? Gone where?" I wiped the tears off my face "She's gone...left...no one knows where she is. Have you heard from her?" Claire replied "Not since last night. Everyone came down on her like a ton of bricks yesterday and she was very upset. I _heard_ what you said to her yesterday, _you son of a bitch_. Everyone did! You have _no freaking clue _as to what she's been through, do you? _None of you do!_ You also have no idea of how afraid she was that your old girlfriend was going to shoot her mouth off and say some really nasty things in front of James. She was trying to protect him _and you!_ An old girlfriend, by the way, that you haven't had the _BALLS_ to tell her to quit bothering you and _make it stick_-you were too much of a 'gentleman' to do that and you've put up with her poisonous tongue for decades. Your wife fought the battle that you should've _long ago_ and what did she get for it? An ass reaming out of everyone, _including you! _ All of you treated her like a child who got caught setting fire to a kitten and essentially defended that poisonous spider of a woman! Whose side are you on? Katie's or Edith's-**PICK ONE!** After what I heard yesterday out of you and what she told me she went through at Ruth's house I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she's gone back to New Zealand or Alaska or god knows where. It's fairly obvious to me that _all of you_ are on Edith's side because she's _so__ point-your-freaking-pinkie 'civilized'_. Well, you can have that 'civilized' anorexic bitch. _A_ _weak excuse for a man like you_ _deserves to be pussywhipped by someone like her _and Katie deserves to be with someone better..._a __real__ man who loves and understands her!_ If you want to fire me go right ahead, it'll save me the trouble of resigning._" _Chandra must've overheard that last sentence as she entered the room "What the hell is going on?" Claire just threw up her hands "ARRRGGGH!" and stomped out of the room.

Chandra shook her head "What did you say to her that made her so angry?" I closed my eyes and shook my head "Katie left this morning." Chandra was surprised "Where did she go? I replied "No one knows. She took the twins and left a note for Ruth and everyone at her house and left one for me." She sighed "I'm not surprised. She's been trying her best to keep it together and to help everyone else through this and no one has really _helped her_ deal with what she's feeling. Claire and I tried but we were so busy most of the time. You didn't see her cry, most people didn't. All they saw were her puffy and bloodshot eyes. When Jean went over to your house to help her get ready to come over here she collapsed in his arms. Yes, your wife who is normally so calm and brave in the face of adversity collapsed and cried in his arms like a child. Why? Because her husband that she loves so very much was dying! That was the only time she's let her emotions show outside of her puffy eyes. For the six days while you lay here in-between life and death she hardly left your side. She hardly slept and barely ate. During that time no one saw her cry but we all knew she was because of her eyes. We didn't know how to help her outside of trying to be there for her and be ready to pick up the pieces. All the recriminations from the incident with your ex-fiancée was the thing that finally crushed her spirit. I _heard_ what you said to her...God, I hope she is alright." I lay there while Chandra read my chart from the night before and examined me "I wish I could take back everything I said to her..." Chandra said "You can't...what has been said _cannot_ be unsaid. The only thing you can do is apologize and try to rectify the situation as best you can. You were pretty harsh with her, maybe you don't remember all you said because of the heat of the moment and the medication you're on but it was pretty bad. It's a shame...she loved you so much."

The word 'loved' stuck out like a neon light, I searched my somewhat fuzzy memory of the event-at first I didn't think much of it, after Louisa came back and told me what she'd witnessed I was appalled. When Katie came back to the room I was concerned because she had some terrible scratches but said nothing but expressed concern for her injuries. It was when she came back the next day that I expressed my dismay in her behavior. I tried to try to determine what I had said that had cut her so deeply that it might have mortally wounded her love for me. It came to me; for after it left my mouth she said no more and got up and left "You behaved like some thug in a bar fight in some god forsaken Alaskan mining town. Here in the _civilized areas_ of the world we are expected to behave with a bit more decorum. I love you but I am ashamed of you right now." Chandra asked me again if I was alright, I replied "No...I remember what I said to her. You're right, there will be _no way_ to take that back. I don't know what to do...I can't search for her from here." Chandra put her hand on my good shoulder "All you can hope for right now is that she thinks better of all this after a couple days and comes back. Otherwise...you best prepare yourself for life as a single father. I would imagine that she will go back to those 'uncivilized, god forsaken places' that she came from and start flying again. She can't do that while taking care of two children." I sighed "You heard that comment?" She nodded "_Everyone on the floor heard it._ She left right after you said it, too. I saw her face, _you had broken her._ I'm going to let you in on a little something. I was here when it happened; I've been here since it happened, too. You want to know what the opinion of just about everyone is concerning what happened. I'll tell you, the opinion _with one exception_ is that Edith has had that coming for a very long time, deserved what she got and most here wished they had the guts to do what your wife did a _long time ago_. Want to know who the one exception is? _It's_ _you_. At dinner Robert had a bottle of champagne brought to the table and we drank a toast. Want to know who the toast was to? It was to 'Katie the dragon slayer.' I didn't know this when I talked to you yesterday but your friend Chris is in town and was at dinner with us. In between Robert, Chris and Fiona we heard enough about Edith to understand why everyone was pleased that she got her lights punched out. Hell, I would have punched her out years ago myself if I put up with half of what they have out of her." I sighed "What can I do?" Chandra smiled faintly "Hope she comes back, that's about all you can do for now."

After Chandra left I slept and dreamed the same dream I had earlier except I lingered there longer. I watched the sun go down and the stars come out. There was no sign of her, the boat or any life. I called out for her to come back but the only answer I received was the gentle lapping of the waves upon the shore. Eventually I fell asleep on the sand and the dream ended. The rest of my sleep was a dreamless void. A gentle had shook me awake. It was Robert. "Martin, we've found Katie." The fog of sleep cleared from my head "Where is she?" He took a deep breath "She's being transferred here from Hillingdon." I was puzzled at first then it dawned on me "What happened? Where are the children?" She's OK. Don and Louisa went to collect the twins and are taking them back to Ruth's." My heart sank "Will you please tell me what is going on?" Robert replied "She was in the Galleries Lounge at terminal 5 when she passed out. She was being taken to Hillingdon A&E where Bob Guthrie saw her name as being the patient coming in on an ambulance and called me to ask if she was any relation to you. I told him to have her sent here." I was getting frustrated; he was dancing around the truth of the matter. Whatever it was he didn't want to tell me. "So far you've told me nothing about her condition outside of the fact that she needed an ambulance which indicates to me that it's more than her simply passing out. So, what's wrong with her?" He replied in a calm 'tutor' voice "Low blood pressure, weak rapid pulse, nausea, abdominal cramping, and moderate vaginal bleeding. What does that tell you, Mr. Ellingham?" I closed my eyes "Miscarriage, possible ectopic pregnancy. Lack of shoulder pain and extreme pelvic pain in one of the lower quadrants along with only moderate bleeding indicates that the tube hasn't blown yet if it's ectopic. Pulse and blood pressure readings could be exacerbated by the excessive stress the patient has been under for the last couple of weeks." Robert sighed "A+, Martin. I'm sorry...we'll keep you updated. Try not to become excessively stressed yourself. _No one_ is at fault here, these things just happen." I closed my eyes and nodded "Thank you for telling me...the pain meds are kicking in and I'm getting sleepy." He replied "I understand. Get some rest." I lay there for some time with my eyes closed. I didn't want visitors; I just wanted to be left alone. I thought about how she was feeling. She was so stressed and upset by everything that she was leaving for somewhere. She's not one to run unless it is so overwhelming that she _has_ to in order to survive. I thought about what I'd said to her. I tried to put myself in her shoes while I listened to what I said. No wonder she wanted to leave. "Oh, Katie...If I could I'd take _every single word_ back and try to wash away all the hurt and pain I've caused. I choose you! Please forgive me...I love you so much! Please come back to me..." I fell asleep with her in my thoughts. I went back to the lagoon where nothing else mattered. The boat was back! The fish were back! The palms waved their fronds lazily in the breeze. The sky glowed in shades of pink, orange and violet. A Red-tailed Tropicbird flew by, its wings glowed orange in the sunset. There she was! She was wearing that sarong she wore the day I climbed the palm tree. She walked over to me and said "_You idiot!_ Don't you know that I'll _always_ love you and I'll _always_ protect you? I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me..."


	109. Chapter 109: The Donkey and the Carrot

**_Chapter 109: The Donkey and the Carrot_**

It's _so_ good to be home...

I flew home on a Med-evac flight, Katie and the twins flew home on Danny's jet with Claire and the rest. I've started PT and that's been a rather rough time, in fact _all_ of it's been rough. I've never had major surgery before and rarely get sick otherwise so I find I'm becoming very frustrated with myself, I can't do some of the things I want to do. Despite all I'm progressing nicely. I can walk unaided, go up and down stairs (carefully), my abdominal muscles are getting stronger; my leg is almost back to normal, the incision has healed well and Dakota did a fine job on it, etc. Katie has helped me a lot with my rehab, too, she's almost as bad as Grant sometimes. She does come with a bonus incentive for she reminds me "The faster you get better the sooner we can have, _as they say_, 'marital relations'. _This_ donkey wants _that_ big carrot!" As far as incentives go you just can't beat it.

I've gone back to work on a limited basis. I'm still not well enough to stand for long periods of time so performing surgery is out for now. I'm doing mostly administrative work, consultations, observing the department's interns surgeries and working on my research project. On the subject of Claire...She avoided me like the plague after her rant in London. After a few days of that I told Foghorn that I wanted to see her, not as one of my doctors or a friend but as her superior. A couple of hours later she came into my room and stood there like a recalcitrant teenager. "Foghorn told me that you wanted to see me." I replied to her in a calm voice "Sit down, Dr. Smith." She sat down just like a recalcitrant teenager and stared at me. I could tell by her eyes she was still _very angry_ with me. "Dr. Smith, I want to talk to you about your behavior towards me the other day." She said somewhat angrily "You deserved every word of it!" I replied "Yes, I did. Though I do have a bone to pick with you about your rant..." She snapped "Oh yeah? What's that?" She was just itching for a confrontation. I replied in my best disciplinary tone of voice "Currently you are in the United Kingdom, Dr. Smith. The correct terminology is bollocks, not balls. Of course, the term 'bollocks' is used in many ways that are not directly related to testicles. When working in a hospital in a different country you might find it useful to try to learn some of the common terminology and slang used in that country. Also, I know that you ran the wire to do the VSD repair on my heart up the femoral artery. You must've seen that I do, indeed, have 'balls'." I opened up the folder with the transcript "In fact I know you did because according to the surgical transcript, and I quote, _'Jeez...I did __NOT__ need to see that! It does explain a lot, though.' _My question for you is what does _'that explain?" _ She sat there stunned and speechless then started laughing. She straightened up and replied in a tone of voice she uses in consultations "I cannot answer that question for you, Dr. Ellingham. You might wish to consult with your wife concerning that subject at a later date." I closed the transcript and placed it on the table "Alright, I will consult with her concerning the subject of that question when I have a chance to. As to the subject of my terminating your employment I see no reason to. Of course, if you do choose to resign your position that is up to you. I would be most unhappy if you did so. You are a great surgeon, a great doctor and a valuable asset to my department and the hospital. On a personal note my wife would roast _me_ slowly over an open fire if I did terminate your employment. I've had _enough_ of angry women for this year...I think we're done here unless you have some comments you'd like to add." Claire stood up and walked over to me then gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek then said "You are the _best boss_ I've ever had, and one of my best friends! You know...the people around here think you are a humorless bastard. They're wrong...you're a son of a bitch, _a __funny__ son of a bitch."_ I smiled "Duly noted, Dr. Smith. You now may return to your duties."

Katie's doing well after all that happened, her sense of humor has returned and it's so good to hear her laugh again. She surprises me, the aftermath of the events in London have been one of those times where she surprised everyone. We were all ready for having to deal with her experiencing some emotional and psychological problems from her break down and from the miscarriage-neither occurred. The only residual effect of her break down is that she is angry with herself that she had one. Everyone, including me, keep on trying to tell her that it's OK but she's still mad about it. "I turned into some weak sauce, emotional, stupid woman...I'm not impressed. I'm losing my edge..." The other night when we were enjoying our first whirlpool bath together since I left for London I finally asked her where she was going on that day "I needed to be alone where it was quiet so I was going to Christchurch, then to Akaroa. That was far enough away from everyone and everything and if those started encroaching on us I was going to head out to sea. Do some coastal sailing up to Nelson Bay and hide out among the islands. No one would have found us there." As far as the miscarriage goes her attitude is "Sometimes something's are just not meant to be no matter how much we want them. There's no use in crying about it. We can try again and if it doesn't happen then that is the way it's meant to be, too."

William and Elizabeth are being their good and happy selves. I think they're happy to be home, I know I am. I've now regained enough strength to pick them up _one at a time_ and help care for them. They're starting to creep and can pull themselves up and stand for short periods which is a bit ahead of schedule as far as babies go. The other day they both had pulled themselves up in the corral and stood there looking at us like little prisoners, all they needed was two little tin cups to rattle along the bars. We started laughing at them because they _did_ look like two little prisoners; Katie had dressed them in green and white horizontal striped shirt and short sets that day. As we laughed they started laughing at us which made us laugh harder. Katie took some masking tape and wrote numbers on it then put them on their shirts then we snapped a few pictures of them. I added one of those pictures to my photo collection on my desk at work, when Foghorn saw it he laughed and asked "Isn't there something in the Geneva Convention about that?" They've finally been weaned off the breast and are teething. Katie started to wean them soon after their first teeth started coming in for three reasons-her milk supply was not keeping up with their needs, they were starting to eat soft foods and "I am _not_ a chew toy." With it being summer we're spending most evenings in the pool. By evening the water is very warm and the evening air is pleasant so we've been taking the twins swimming with us and they're enjoying it immensely. Whenever they see their mum all dressed in silver they become very excited because they know they are going swimming soon, I must admit I become rather excited, too, but for different reasons.

James and I have spent a lot of time on Skype since I came home. In his typical way he has now become excited about all the new creatures he'll be seeing on our holiday and we've been learning about them together. He's also excited about being on the boat and wants us to teach him how to sail. The only problem he is having is that he still has the occasional nightmare about what happened in Oxford Circus and those are getting rarer as time goes by. When we've discussed it I've tried my best to reassure and comfort him. I've also talked to Louisa in private about this and she told me "That is to be expected, it was traumatic for him. He was so afraid that you were going to die. The dreams he's having are 'factual' dreams, basically a replay of what he experienced on the platform. The events haven't morphed into something else which is good. We've been monitoring his behavior and he hasn't changed much from before. With some children they have regressive reactions such as thumb-sucking or bed wetting, they have irrational fits of anger or they become unusually 'clingy'. So far he's his 'normal' happy, inquisitive self. He is a very rational, intelligent boy and I think we all did a very good job in those early days of helping him cope with and understand what happened. The only thing I worry about is what happens when we go to London to get on the plane to go on our holiday. He may be uncomfortable going back there, despite what he says."

On the subject of our holiday Louisa and Katie have just about everything in order and ready to go. I've been making excellent progress in PT and was cleared to go two weeks ago so they've been busy finalizing their preparations. The only real sticking point has been, of all things, nappies. Both use cloth nappies and with three babies that will generate a lot of laundry outside of the laundry all the rest of us will be generating. It'd be more than the washer/dryer on the boat can handle and we'd be doing nothing but laundry the whole time we're there. Katie's always done laundry onboard and didn't know if there was a public laundry on the island so she sent an email to Tautoru. He replied a couple of days later and said he'd talked to one of his friends who owns one of the smaller resorts-they told him they'd be happy to allow us to use their facilities for a small fee or would be happy to offer a 'wash/dry/fold' service for a larger fee. Katie and Louisa decided to contract for the wash/dry/fold service-that way all that would have to be done is to load up the soiled nappies and other laundry into the tender, take them to town to drop them off and return with the clean items. One thing we had to do was to buy new wetsuits. My body has changed since we went last year, I've lost about two stone and exercise has changed my body shape. Grant has worked me hard in PT and has me in the best shape I've ever been. Her old one is too tight in the hips and bust so she needed a new one, too. Katie has also arranged for the boat to be serviced so it'll be ready to go when we get there.

All in all I'm starting to get excited about going and am secretly counting down the days until we leave. I've never felt this way about going on holiday before. I think the reason is because of all that has happened since we were there the last time and the dreams I had while in hospital. The lagoon on the opposite side of the world where nothing else matters became a refuge and a comfort for me during those days. In my dreams nothing _did_ matter except for those where she'd gone, all the rest were pleasant escapes from the pain and my physical confinement to a hospital bed. I know it will be different from last year because we won't be alone while we're there but I'm sure we'll manage to slip away from time to time to be by ourselves. We will essentially be by ourselves while sailing the boat there, the twins don't mind what Katie and I get up to for the most part. Once there we'll be able to 'get away' for a while by using one of the inflatable kayaks. We can paddle over to Maina or Rapotu for a little privacy or take the tender and go over to the big island for a night out. I'm also looking forward to showing James how to climb a palm tree, snorkel and Kitesurf and to teach him about the birds, fish, plants and creatures that inhabit that part of the world. When he gets a bit older we can teach him how to scuba dive. We're also going to take the boat out for the day and we'll see how well everyone handles sailing on the open ocean. If all goes well we can all sail up there together if they want to go back or Katie and I can take him there for his summer holiday. We can also go other places, by then the 'Isilme' will be moored in Plymouth. We can sail around Britain or up to Cornwall and anchor in the harbor at Port Wenn or one of the nearby coves and visit. It's a short trip to France, Ireland or the Med from Plymouth; it's mostly coastal sailing or short open water hops instead of over thousands of miles of Open Ocean with the nearest land over a thousand miles away.

Before I met Katie I rarely took holidays and when I did I usually became bored quickly. The only exception was the trip Chris and I took to Italy-_that_ I enjoyed. Another exception was the one holiday that Louisa and I went on while we were married. By then we were almost to the point of breaking up and I'd hoped we'd try to work on our marriage far away from the interruptions of life in Port Wenn and in a place she'd always wanted to go to. I'd booked us into a flat at the Apanemo Hotel on Santorini for a two week holiday. Right from the start all she wanted to do was lay in the sun by the pool or the beach, drink wine and talk to the people she met there. I knew there was no point in giving her the lecture about the dangers of excessive sun exposure unless I wanted her to go nuclear. If I had I might as well booked a flight home for myself immediately afterwards. She became very cross when I suggested we do something as a family that didn't involve lying about the pool or the beach all day and drinking wine so after a couple of days James and I left her to it and we went and did other things. It was easier for all concerned that way. During the morning we'd explore the island or the nearby Minoan ruins. We'd rejoin Louisa for lunch and she'd go back to the pool or the beach for more lying about in the sun and wine while we'd stay in the shade and play until it was time for his nap. While he napped I'd catch up on my reading or took in the stunning view of the caldera from our balcony and thought. After his nap the sun would be starting to set so we'd go down to the sea shore for a swim and watch the birds and the boats. We'd rejoin Louisa for dinner then I'd watch James and read while she went off with the people she'd met. We were there for two weeks-by day seven we were essentially having separate holidays while staying in the same room, by the time we got on the plane for home I knew our marriage was over. A month later we decided to separate for good and I moved back into the surgery. The rest is history.


	110. Chapter 110: Time Flows

**_Chapter 110: Time Flows_**

It was Friday night. We had put the twins to bed and settled in for a quiet evening. We were working on repairing Glenn's Japy Freres ormolu and porcelain mantel clock. Katie sometimes helps me with them. She cleans the parts and the exteriors for me and tries to find suitable replacement parts from my collection of old, but serviceable, parts. While we were working on it she asked me "Have you ever tried to design and build a clock? You know, it would be nice to have a clock that we made especially for our home. We do have a nice one in the living room but it doesn't really match the spirit and décor of our home. Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice one..." I took the loupes off to rub my eyes "I've never really thought of building one before." She handed me a tissue "Why not?" I sat and thought about that question then replied "I guess it's because I don't think I could make a nice case for the mechanism." She smiled "Why not?" I got up "I need to take a break, my eyes need to rest. I feel like a cup of tea, want to join me?" She got up and put her arm around me "Sounds good..." I put my arm around her and we walked towards the kitchen, I started making our tea while she got out some cups. "What would be required to make one?" I thought for a moment "Well...first we'd have to determine the size of it, then what kind. A simple clock, pendulum clock, animated clock, etc. Then we'd have to design both the exterior and the mechanism, build them then put it together." She thought for a moment "I know you deal with mechanical clocks but how hard would it be to make a water-clock?" I thought for a moment "Easy if you want to make one along ancient lines..." I poured our tea and we took our cups back to the office "I was thinking of something like the Time-Flow Clocks that Bernard Gitton made. Have you ever seen one? I think something like that would look nice in the living room and it would go with the theme of water that you see outside-the pool, the Koi pond, the waterfall..."

We sat down and sipped our tea while I thought about the Time-Flow clocks by Gitton. I was familiar with the design; it looked like an elegant chemistry lab setup then thought about what she said about the house, its décor and our tastes. Along with our artwork we have my Asian medicine chest and instrument collection, antique radio collection (some of which she has repaired for me) and her collections of Inuit carvings and Inukshuks. She also has a rather impressive collection of interesting rocks and fossils from around the world, some of which are on display. The highlight of that collection is a large slab of fossilized fern leaves from the early Cretaceous period she collected while assisting a paleobiology expedition in Antarctica. The fossil is _perfect_-the imprints of the leaves and stems retained their green color and three of the leaves are fossilized but intact! She said to me when she first showed it to me "I couldn't leave beauty like this forgotten, destined to erode slowly in the wind and snow on the side of some nunatak. Those leaves are 128 million years old...this plant was growing when Australia and India were starting to break away from Antarctica." To sum up our home's décor it is clean, tidy with functional, comfortable furniture-the items on display are unusual, interesting, beautiful and have a scientific theme to them. An appropriately designed water-clock would be an interesting and functional addition to our home. I put my loupes back on and said "I think we could accomplish it but would need to do some research into constructing one." She turned on her computer "I'm on it..." After a few minutes of digging she came up with the information and read it to me, she even found an html animation of one. After listening to the information and discussing it the major problem for us would be getting the glass work done. I can build the mechanism and do the calculations to determine the size and length needed for the tubing and other items for the size of clock we'd like to build, she can make the case out of wood, stone and Plexiglas to keep the children and dust out of it.

It was getting late; the full moon was riding high in the sky and filled the pool with shimmering light. I put away the clock and tidied the workbench while Katie shut down her computer and took our cups into the kitchen. We walked arm in arm as we climbed the stairs, as we did I thought to myself "This is the way it should be." We passed the nursery and went in to check on William and Elizabeth; both were sleeping soundly in the moonlight, the stars still faintly glowing on the ceiling. We kissed in the moonlight and went to our room where we performed our nightly hygiene routines and climbed into bed. We kissed and cuddled up together as we drifted off to sleep.

The next two days were going to be very busy.


	111. Chapter 111: Three Men and Three Babies

**_Chapter 111: Three Men and Three Babies_**

The pale morning light drifted in through the windows, I felt Katie's soft breath on my skin. She was still asleep, the twins were still asleep. Everything was quiet and peaceful-it wouldn't be for long, though. The morning would be busy. Once we had the twins sorted out we'd be doing a final check of our luggage and equipment to make sure nothing was being left behind. After that we'll double-check the guest rooms to make sure they were set up properly. We'd have lunch then Katie would work on getting everything ready for dinner while I went to the airport to pick up John, Stephan, Louisa and the children. Once home we'd spend the time relaxing, the children would probably spend a great deal of time in the pool. Katie had planned on making dinner on the grill in the summer kitchen and having dinner out on the patio so everyone wouldn't have to worry about changing out of their swim suits. Dinner would probably be followed by more swimming and playing for the children while the adults relaxed then off to bed for everyone. Sunday morning we needed to pack everyone and everything up and head back to the airport where we'd board the 767 and fly off to Christchurch. Katie and John would be flying about half the route to New Zealand to give the other pilots a rest. Once there Stephan and I would take the children to Akaroa and load the things that needed to go with us on the boat on board then we'd explore the town while Katie and Louisa did the grocery shopping. When they were done they'd drive to Akaroa and we'd help them stow the groceries. After that was done we'd go out for dinner then spend the rest of the time doing whatever we felt like until it was bedtime. The next morning Katie, the twins and I would head out to sea and the rest would spend the next week roaming around New Zealand then fly to Aitutaki where we'd pick them up.

The morning went according to plan and after lunch I left for the airport. I arrived and saw that the rental vehicle was already there waiting for us so I went inside and stopped at reception and asked the receptionist about the status of their flight "Good afternoon, Dr. Ellingham! It's so nice to see you again. The plane just landed and should arrive momentarily. The rental agency dropped off the vehicle you requested and the paperwork for it. I need you to sign for it." I thanked him, filled out the paperwork and took the keys. As I walked out into the waiting area I saw the jet taxi up and stop, it had been painted in different livery since I saw it last. The customs agent was already there so I greeted him and we went outside and stood near the door while waiting for them to deplane. James bounded down the steps and ran as fast he could towards me. I stooped down to give him a hug and a kiss "I love you, James! I'm so glad to see you!" He hugged and kissed me back "I love you, daddy! I'm _so happy_ you're feeling better!" I smiled and nodded "I am, too!" I took his hand seeing as I was still restricted on how much weight I could lift and shook Stephan's hand "Welcome to Houston, Stephan! How was your flight?" He replied "It went quite well. Kate slept thought most of it and the rest of the children were on their best behavior. That tip that Katie gave Louisa really did the trick." I looked at him "What tip?" Stephan smiled "Giving Kate a dummy to suck on to help her ears adjust to altitude." I now understood the reason for the new packet of dummies I'd seen Katie sneak into the babies' bag. I was going to ask her about that later, she _knows_ how I feel about them. "Ah...well...good! I'm glad it helped. Where's Louisa?" Stephan replied "The baby needed a nappy change." The customs agent started to process everyone's paperwork. Louisa came up to us with the baby "Hello, Martin! You're looking better than the last time I saw you!" I smiled "Welcome to Houston, Louisa and hello, Kate! Your father tells me you've been a good little girl on your first plane ride." Louisa laughed "You didn't see what was in her nappy!" John came in as the customs agent was processing the others paperwork. We shook hands as we greeted each other "Hello, Martin! Nice to see you again! How are you feeling?" I replied "I'm quite well, how have you been?" He laughed 'Busier than hell, but that's par for the course. I can't wait to finally meet my little niece and nephew!"

The drive home was swift and uneventful; Katie was at the door to welcome everyone to our home. The children saw the pool and wanted to go swimming immediately, which all the adults had expected and hoped would happen. Katie and I showed everyone to their rooms and they all freshened up and we changed into our swim suits while they did. When we'd finished I took Katie into my arms and we kissed a long, loving kiss that was turning passionate. I started to unzip her suit and she whispered "We'd better not start something we can't finish..." I nibbled on her neck which made her press closer to me "View this as a preview of coming attractions..." She giggled "Coming is the keyword in that sentence, isn't it?" I smiled "Yes." She ran her fingers down my chest and released me _"You're such a tease!_ Getting me all hot and bothered...Anyway, I'd better get the twins into their swim nappies and you'd better go down and play lifeguard if any of the kids beat Louisa and Stephan downstairs." I'd arrived downstairs to find that the boys were all ready to dive in, James said to me as I met them "I told them we had to wait for an adult before we could go into the pool." I gave him a hug "Yes and thank you all for waiting. Safety is very important. Have you told them the pool rules?" James nodded "Yes. No running and no diving in except by the waterfall. If an adult tells you to get out of the pool you do so." I smiled "Good! Go and have a good time, boys!" They all smiled, went over by the waterfall, dove in and started swimming and playing about. The girls came down followed by Louisa and Stephan. I told the girls the pool rules and they went in to join the boys. Stephan, Louisa and the baby joined them soon after. Stephan asked "Aren't you coming, Martin?" I replied "I'll be in a minute; I'm going to go help Katie with the twins." Louisa said as Kate splashed her "They are a handful!" I nodded "_Two_ hands full!" John was coming downstairs with Elizabeth followed by Katie with William as I was going inside to help her. John smiled "Had to meet my niece and nephew. These two are cuties!" Katie giggled "They're just putting a show on for their uncle!" She handed William over to me "You two go and play with them for a bit. I need to bring out the refreshments."

John and I joined Louisa and Stephan in the shallow end while the older children frolicked in the deeper portions of the pool. Louisa said "You were up piloting the plane during our trip so we didn't get a chance to say thank you for allowing us to fly on the plane. It's wonderful, especially with small children!" John smiled "My pleasure! It's one of the few perks of being CFO, as long as the boss isn't on board I can take whoever I want along for the ride. In fact you are the first non-crew to fly in it." I was perplexed "We flew in it last year..." He laughed "I guess you aren't up on different types of jets. That is his new plane, it's a 777-300ER. I didn't tell Katie, she's in for a surprise and a treat! She'll have fun flying this." It was Stephan and Louisa's turn to be perplexed "She's going to fly it?" John held William so he could practice his paddling skills "Yup, we're going to handle the open water part until we get to Moorea. Technically we could fly non-stop but I don't like cutting fuel margins that close when over water." John saw the expression on Louisa's face "Look, Louisa...My sister more than qualifies to be certified on this particular jet, all she really needs is the ground school for it. Don't tell her I told you this but she is one of the best 'natural pilots' out there, she has the ability to learn quickly just by doing. By the time we reach Moorea she'll know it well enough to fly it by herself if need be. Trust me; I wouldn't let her if I didn't know she could handle it. I wish I could hire her, but I can't." Stephan said "Can't hire relatives?" John replied "Yes, I can. I know she wouldn't take the job. She's a wife and mom now and wouldn't want to be parted from her husband and children for that long. My son Charlie has no interest in flying jets, he likes flying choppers. He runs a backcountry heli-skiing and fishing guide service up in British Columbia. He's done well for himself and has expanded his business to include a lodge for his clients. It's quite a nice set up. My father would be quite proud of him, too. He's carrying on the family tradition."

Katie finally had everything set up and dove into the pool. She swam the length of it underwater, as was her habit, then surfaced next to me with a laugh "OK, what's John been saying about me _this time?"_ John handed William over to her and laughed "I told them about the pontoon boat..." She splashed him "You'd better not or I'll kick your scrawny butt!" He swam off a bit so he could have a head start "Why do you think I handed William to you right away? That way I can out run or swim you! No...I didn't tell them about that, though I can _if you want me to_..." She splashed him again "No, that _won't_ be necessary! A girl has to have _some_ secrets..." William decided that splashing looked like a lot of fun so he started splashing around and giggled, she held him "OK, young man! That's enough splashing out of_ you_ for one day! When you get older I'll show you how to get back at your evil uncle for being mean to your mom." John said "I'm _not_ evil! In fact I brought you _a present!" _She perked up _"Oh,_ _really?_ What did you bring me?" He took William "It's a big one...I brought a 777-300ER for you to play with. Time to join the dark side and get used to flying a jet with a glass cockpit, sis! I brought the manual with me if you want to look at it." She swam over and gave him a big kiss on the cheek "I _love_ you; you always brings me the _nicest_ presents. I've flown that on the flight simulator...it's not too bad for a fly by wire and glass job." He laughed "How many times did you crash it?" She huffed and puffed in mock indignation "None... And I did try to crash it, too. There's no better way to learn how to fly something then to run through emergency procedures on a variety of situations. I even flew it into a sleet storm and a blizzard. Anyone can do straight and level flight in calm weather..."

The babies had tired of swimming so we took them out, bathed and dressed them then put them in the corral. Katie changed out of her skinsuit while the rest of us relaxed and watched the older children play. She came back down dressed in a pair of cool gauze trousers and a short sleeved shirt and sat beside me on the chaise. "I looked in on them, they're all sleeping." Louisa sipped her Lemonade "This is wonderful Lemonade and a lovely home. It's so relaxing here." Katie smiled "Thank you, it means a lot. We wanted all of you to be relaxed and comfortable here." Stephan looked around "It is a comfortable and unusual home with a very interesting design and layout." I told him about the architect and what he was trying to accomplish with the design of it. John got up and went inside then came out a few minutes later. Under his arm was a book, he dropped it on Katie's lap as he passed. She picked it up and giggled "Ah...some light reading! Hate to break it to you, hun, but I've already read this. I have it on my tablet in pdf form." He smiled "So you already knew what the present was..." She replied "Nope. When playing with the flight simulator I like to know about what I'm allegedly flying on it so I know the difference between what the flight simulator and its controls allow me to do and what the plane is actually capable of. I judge the quality of feedback on the simulator controls by flying a simulated Beaver-I _know_ how one of those handles." He laughed "What you need is to go and do some actual flying." She sighed as she flipped through the manual "Don't have the time or opportunity to do that at the moment. The twins are a lot of work and it's been a long row to hoe getting Martin back on his feet after London..." Louisa changed the subject and asked about what was going to happen tomorrow and they all discussed the plans. I sat back lost in thought, she has had a rough couple of months. She's worked hard to help me recover while providing the majority of care to the twins because I wasn't physically able to help her for weeks due to my injuries. Then there was the miscarriage... She has had very little time for herself to do the things she enjoys doing and she's said nothing about it-probably because she didn't want to upset me or make me feel bad.

I felt her hand caress my chest "What are you daydreaming about, babycakes?" I said "Not daydreaming, just thinking about something..." She kissed me "Think about_ that_ while I get dinner ready. Can you keep an ear out for the twins while I do so?" I took her hand "Certainly!" Louisa kissed Stephan and got up "Need some help?" Katie smiled "Sure! I'd enjoy some company while I get things ready." Louisa and Katie excused themselves and went into the kitchen and left 'the menfolk' out on the patio to watch over the children. Stephan asked "Fancy another swim?" We thought that sounded good so I turned up the baby monitor and we went back into the pool. We swam then joined the children in their games for a bit. After that we sat in the whirlpool and watched the children play and the women in the kitchen. John laughed "How traditional! Here we are relaxing while watching the women work on dinner." I smiled "You ought to know your sister better by now, if she needed our help with dinner she'd ask for it. Besides, we're doing important work. We're watching over the children. I suspect that soon the babies will wake up and want dinner, at least the twins will." Stephan laughed "I also suspect that they are _quite happy_ in there chatting about things _they don't want us_ to hear about." We all laughed for we knew that was what they were probably doing. Stephan asked "How are you _really_ doing, Martin?" I sighed "I'm doing quite well considering the injuries I sustained. I _should_ be dead...in fact I was for a while down on the platform. Going through something like that changes your perspectives on life. Things that seemed important, aren't...things that I once thought were minor or could be neglected become _very_ important. That's part of the reason why I've pushed myself so hard to be well enough to go on this trip, we both need it but Katie needs it much more than me. She _needs_ to do the things that she loves. I know she misses flying and I know she misses what she considers her 'home'-her sailboat and nature at its wildest. Both of our lives have changed drastically in the last 18 months but hers has changed much more, and has become more difficult, than mine. I know that..." John put his hand on my shoulder "Yes, she misses those things from time to time but I think you sell yourself short. She wouldn't be here if this wasn't where she wanted to be. She wants to be here with you and the children. She loves you and if I know one thing about my sister is that she has bonded herself to you. The things that she misses she knows are things she had to give up to be with you. You and your children are more important to her than those other things. She chose _you_..." I watched her as she started preparing the grill to cook dinner "I chose her, too..." We sat there and watched the children play and the women prepare dinner in silence for a few minutes then I got up "I'm going to get cleaned up, William and Elizabeth will want their dinner soon. Please excuse me."

I went upstairs to shower and change. In the shower I thought of an idea that I knew Katie would love. It'd be a couple of years before we could do it and it would take much planning but it _would be_ feasible. I asked myself if I was willing to do it for her and the children and my mind answered with a swift and resounding "Yes!" I thought about it and discovered that, much to my surprise, I _wanted_ to do it, too. As I dressed I thought of when I should tell her about it and decided that the best place and time would be on the 'Isilme' somewhere between Akaroa and Aitutaki. I had timed things well, just as I started down the stairs I could hear the "I'm hungry!" cry of Elizabeth which would (as always) be followed by her brother. I also noted that the pool was devoid of splashing children and John and Stephan weren't out there, either. John was picking up William and Stephan had showered and changed, too and he was carrying Kate. "Ah, just in the nick of time! They woke up a couple of minutes ago and are singing for their supper." I smiled and picked up William, he giggled because he knew that dinner was about to be served. I asked "Where are the rest of the children?" Stephan replied "They tired of the pool shortly after you left, they're all upstairs getting ready for dinner."

We carried the children into the kitchen and put them into their high chairs then proceeded to prepare their dinner. It was a 'delightfully orange themed' dinner of carrots, sweet potato, peach puree mixed with a bit of cereal and yogurt all washed down with some mixed fruit juice. John fed Elizabeth while I fed William and Stephan fed Kate. Louisa wandered in from outside, laughed and started snapping pictures with her phone. "Three Men and Three Babies!" Katie came in, saw us and smiled "Thanks for taking care of them!" She walked over and kissed the twins then gave John and me a kiss on the cheek and said "Want me to put the bottles in the warmer?" I nodded and she went off to do so. John remarked "I'm surprised she isn't still nursing them." I sighed "One of the aftereffects of the events in London was that her milk production fell sharply. She couldn't keep up with them and she wasn't feeling well for a couple of weeks. We didn't have much of a choice, thankfully they've taken to the formula and seem to be doing well on it." He replied "I understand...I talked to her for a couple of hours on the phone right after that happened. I'd never heard her cry like that before, not even after the fire...I felt so helpless..." William was ready for his bottle so I started to clean him up "I felt helpless, too...It was entirely my fault, I should've never said the things I said to her." Kate decided her food was useful as a cosmetic so Stephan was cleaning her up "You weren't _totally _to blame for that one. It sounds like _everyone_ came down on her at the same time." I took their bottles out of the warmer and we fed them "Not everyone. Claire didn't...Robert didn't..." John said as he winded Elizabeth "The one thing you have to remember about my sister is that _she will protect you and your children_. If she perceives someone as a great enough threat that the _only way_ she can protect those she loves is by physically challenging that threat _she will do so._ If that's a deal breaker between you two you'd better tell her now while I'm here so I can help her pick up the pieces and help her move out. Otherwise accept the fact that if _you_ don't _man up_ and shut the threat down first she _will_. One of the greatest burdens she's carried for most of her life is listening to that Wolverine tear apart our mother. She _still_ feels guilty about that. Could she have stopped it from happening? No, in fact the Wolverine would have killed her. That makes no difference to her because she would've died trying to protect her mother. You see, more than likely mom was still alive when the Wolverine came. If she wasn't Snowy would've just stayed and guarded Katie-she wouldn't have bothered trying to defend a dead body. Katie _knew_ mom was still living because Snowy attacked the Wolverine. I tried for a long time to get her to understand that more than likely mom wouldn't have lived until morning anyway but that makes no difference. In her mind she failed to protect her mother when she needed her most and she is _not_ going to allow anyone she loves to be hurt again if she can help it." Stephan decided to change the subject and we talked about our plans for the next day while we changed their nappies, cuddled them, read to them and put them down for the night. We decided that if we sang to them it would only give them nightmares so we skipped that part, fortunately they were very sleepy so it seems they didn't mind missing out for one night.

Katie was about to come upstairs as we started down "Are they asleep?" I nodded and she said "Perfect timing! Dinner is served..." We all went out to the patio where Louisa and Katie had laid out a feast. There were beef, chicken and prawn fajitas for the children and entrees cooked to order for the adults. John, Stephan and I had the Cedar planked Salmon, Katie had Carne Asada al Carbon and Louisa opted for the Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops. I had questioned her plan of making fajitas for the children, thinking it might be too spicy for all but James (who seems to have acquired a taste for spicy food) she said "I'm making everything on the mild side for them, though James might complain that it's _too_ mild! Anyway, it's a perfect dinner for them. They can build their own tacos to their own tastes; it'll be a fun time for them." We all smiled as we watched James demonstrate how to build a taco to his siblings and the rest followed suit. Louisa laughed "I think this is the quietest I've ever heard them at dinner. We'll have to make them some night when we get home." Stephan said "Sounds good, we'll have to look up the recipes." Louisa smiled "No need to, Katie's given them all to me and the order of preparation. A lot of it is done well in advance of dinner and the meats are marinated overnight so there's no big rush towards dinner time. The one problem is finding tortillas but we can get a tortilla press and make our own-they're easy and the kids can help with those."

After dinner John, Katie and I cleaned up the dishes and the kitchen while Louisa and Stephan put the children to bed then went to bed themselves. The combination of swimming, jet lag and dinner had made them all sleepy. Once we'd finished we decided that going to bed was a pretty good idea, too. We bade everyone a goodnight then went into the nursery to check on the twins, they were dreaming in the moonlight. We went to our room and closed the door. Katie headed for the bathroom "I need to take a shower, I smell like a combination of smoke and fajita's." I listened to the water in the shower run while I undressed and decided that it would be a good idea to join her. After all, she might be tired and have trouble reaching some spots. I went into the bathroom, opened the door to the shower and walked in "I thought you might be tired and in need of some assistance..." She put her arms around me and kissed me "I see you brought your _special scrubber_ with you..."


	112. Chapter 112: Quality Over Quantity

_**Chapter 112: Quality Over Quantity**_

We were somewhere south of Mazatlan about to leave North America behind and start our long journey across the Pacific. Everything has gone smoothly so far. Katie made us a wonderful breakfast this morning of (by special request of both James and John) her blueberry sourdough pancakes with all the trimmings. I turned colors and Katie laughed and giggled when James innocently asked me why I was staring at the maple syrup bottle and grinning. John put two and two together, shook his head and laughed "Oh, you _evil_ woman!" She kissed him and I heard her whisper in his ear "Don't worry, _that_ bottle is upstairs." which made _him_ turn colors. It took us some time to dig ourselves gracefully out of _that one_...After breakfast we all left notes for Peter and Minh to greet them when they got back home from Europe then we packed up and left for the airport. Dave, Mark and Cory (the other pilots and flight engineer on this journey) had run the preflight checks so we were ready to take off once we got there so there was no delay in leaving. Takeoff was smooth considering that the only time Katie had ever done it was with a flight simulator. Sometimes I don't understand her and her brother. To me it seems risky to allow someone who's never flown a particular aircraft before to do something like that but as John said "It's the same shit, different plane. I wouldn't let her do it if she couldn't handle it, I'll be sitting right next to her so don't worry. We don't want to crash it any more than _you_ do! It's too much paperwork..." James and the rest of the children asked if they could go see the cockpit so we're taking them up there one at a time. Right now Amanda is up there with Louisa...

_Louisa and Amanda entered the cockpit and were greeted by John "Hello there, come on in! Don't be shy, just don't touch anything unless we tell you it's OK." Amanda was surprised "It looks like a video game!" Katie laughed "Yes, it does! This is what is known as a 'glass cockpit'. All the controls are electronic though there are manual ones that can be used in an emergency. If you come back to Houston I'll take you up in the Otter after I get it down there. It doesn't have a glass cockpit and looks very different. The Otter has big floats on it so it can land on water..." She explained what all the displays were "This one is called a PFD or primary flight display..." She pointed to the various readings on it "This tells me we're on autopilot, our altitude is 34,000 feet, this shows me that we aren't turning and we're in straight and level flight, this shows me that our speed is Mach 0.840 which is about 560 mph or 905 km/h. This is the navigation screen which shows me what direction we're heading, right now we are flying on a heading of 235 degrees or in a southwesterly direction. It has the radar in the background to show me if we're going to be flying into any storms-those storms you see on the far edge to the north are part of a tropical storm. We aren't going anywhere near it. This one shows me our fuel consumption and how much fuel we have left in each tank. I can change the display on this one to show me all sorts of things..." She flipped through them for her "This is like the thermostat in your house. I can adjust the temperature inside the plane with this..." She ran through the screens and answered Louisa and Amanda's questions about what the various buttons, levers and dials did. Then she said "Want to sit on my lap and see what it's like to fly the plane?" Amanda exclaimed "Yes, please!" Louisa lifted her up and very carefully sat her on Katie's lap. "Wow...this is so cool! I'd like to be a pilot someday..." Katie laughed "I can teach you how to fly when you're a bit older if you want; it takes a lot of flying and training to learn how to fly something like this, though. You have to do well in maths and sciences to fly a plane, too." Katie said to John "Mind if I take her off auto for a minute or two so she can fly it?" He nodded and took the plane out of autopilot and took control "Tell me when you're ready for control." Katie had Amanda grasp the yoke to feel what it was like and explained to her what she needed to do then said "OK, we're ready." John let go of his yoke and Amanda flew. "You're doing a great job! No one in the back knows that you're flying it-you didn't bobble and are keeping us straight and level." Amanda flew the plane for a couple of minutes then John put it back on auto and Louisa lifted her off Katie's lap. Louisa and Amanda both thanked John and Katie for the tour and for letting her fly the plane then went back to join the others._

The older children were amusing themselves by playing video games, Stephan was taking a nap in their cabin and I was minding the twins and Kate when Louisa and Amanda came back from their tour. Amanda ran up and gave me a kiss on the cheek; I asked "What was that for?" She smiled and said "For everything! This is the best holiday I've ever had and it's just started! I got to fly the plane!" I smiled "You're quite welcome and I'm glad you're having a good time." Amanda ran back to be with her siblings and we could hear her tell the others about her tour. Louisa went and got a coffee from the galley and sat down "I have to agree with Amanda, this is the best holiday I've ever had and it's just started. When we got on this plane in London we were all gobsmacked. You hear of things like this in the papers and on TV but it's quite different when you see them in person." I got up and took a sip of my coffee then sat down, the babies amused themselves while I took a break "Yes, this plane is quite nice. Personally I don't know how we'd manage doing this flying commercially. I know Katie's having a great time up there with her brother which makes me happy, too. She _needs it_ after the last couple months..." Louisa took a sip of coffee and thought for a moment "Yes, she does...you _both_ do. We need it, too. Did I tell you that Mrs. Tishell had a run in with Stephan one night last month when he was at the pub with some friends? The _whole pub_ heard what she said and it was all over the village by the next morning. Thankfully the village, with one or two exceptions, is on our side..." I replied "I'm not surprised. She is one person that I do not miss having to see on a daily basis, the woman is certifiable and should still be in a care facility. What did she say to Stephan?" She sighed "She had overheard Stephan tell his friends about what we were doing for our summer holiday so she walked over to their table and asked him how he liked being a 'kept man' by _my ex-husband_ and if his friends were enjoying their drinks 'courtesy of Dr. Ellingham'. Then she made some disparaging and rather vicious remarks about him, me, you and Katie. She called _you_ a 'kept man' and the only reason you married Katie was for _her_ money! Then she said that the only reason why you are being so nice to me and James is because you _feel guilty_ for divorcing me, abandoning James and running off to America and marrying some 'Texas trollop'. She called me 'manipulative' and that I was 'playing my ex and current husbands against each other' to get what I wanted. With you I'm, according to her, using James as a tool to get what I want out of you. She made a big deal out of what happened back in October saying that I used you to 'hire a big team of lawyers' to get us out of there..." I shook my head "She doesn't understand anything outside of the narrow confines of her rigid, small world. I spent nothing on the legal aspect of it, just my personal expenses. In fact I paid nothing for the airfare, I used some of my accumulated air miles for it. Nigel did it on a pro bono basis as a favor requested by Danny and as a favor to me, too. He and the team were compensated for their time as part of the buyout agreement..." Louisa continued "You should have _heard_ what she said about Katie..."

I stopped her there, I didn't want to hear any more of it "Louisa...I don't care what she said. _I don't care about her. _She is mentally ill; if _anyone_ deserved to be called 'Bodmin' it's her! Her entire world is frozen in time and carved in stone-unchanging and unyielding. She still thinks that everyone is who and what they were 5 to 10 years ago and _she can't cope with the fact that people and circumstances change as time goes by_. She still sees me as the person I was back then and can't wrap her head around the fact that _I am __not__ that man anymore_. More importantly she can't wrap her head around the fact that I'd _never_ have anything to do with her in either a physical or emotional way-_not then and_ _certainly not now_. I wouldn't even if she tied herself above my bed, naked. _Especially if she tied herself above my bed naked._ Her comments about Katie, Stephan, James and especially you only serve to highlight her delusional state. In your case I think she sees herself as _you_ in a way because _she wanted to be you_, or at least what you were to me at the time her world froze. She wanted to be the one I loved. I would imagine that in her mind she constantly plays the 'what if' game...'What if' I only did this or that after Louisa left for London after they cancelled the wedding, 'what if' I'd tried to make a play for him after he and Louisa had that row about the christening and Louisa moved out, etc. _What she fails to realize is that no matter how hard she tries to change the equation it still doesn't add up to the sum she __wants__ it to be._ That is the reality of the situation and she has always had a difficult time coping with reality. Personally I don't care if she continues to live in her fantasy world as long as she keeps out of all of ours...The last thing I'll say about this is that if she continues to harass Stephan, you, James or the rest of your family contact Nigel. He'll shut her down and shut her up-_permanently_."

Stephan had woken up and sat down next to Louisa. He was still a bit bleary eyed so Louisa kissed him and went off to get him some coffee. He yawned then said "Oh...I needed that...I have to say, if you're going to fly to the opposite side of the world this is the way to do it! What were you two talking about?" I replied "The altercation you had with Mrs. Tishell in the pub. I told Louisa that if she persists to call Nigel." He nodded and sighed "The woman is definitely Bodmin..." He thought for a moment then smiled "She better hope she doesn't run into your wife, I don't think Katie would put up with her calling her a 'Texas trollop'..." I shook my head "No, she wouldn't take that kindly at all. I've thought about what John said last night and he was right. I do have to _'man up'_ and shut things like this down before Katie feels like she has to in order to protect her family. I married a Lioness, not a kitten." Louisa overheard that last comment as she came back to where we were with fresh coffee for all of us "You finally figured that one out, did you?" I replied "Yes...I guess I'd better get used to being a Lion." She smiled "It shouldn't be too hard for you because you _already are one_. As I told you last October you can be very intimidating and are _quite scary_ at times." I thought about it for a moment "Yeah...I roar a lot and that gets the job done the majority of the time, if it doesn't Katie growls and gets out the claws. It may not be the most elegant of solutions but it gets the job done, too." Stephan chuckled "That sums it up rather well." James wandered over to us and sat on my lap "Daddy, I've been thinking... May I please go on the boat with you and Katie? I know Katie said that we all couldn't go because there were too many people to go across the ocean but I'm just one person and I'm small. " I looked at him and said "That would be up to your mum, Stephan and Katie, not me." He looked at Louisa "Mummy, may I go with daddy and Katie if she says I can?" Louisa said "That would be up to Katie but if she has no problems with it then I see no reason why you can't. We'd miss you, though." James hopped down out of my lap and tugged on my hand "Let's go ask her!" We all knew he'd wouldn't stop talking about it until he had an answer so I got up and said "Alright, but if she's too busy to talk to us now you'll have to wait for your answer until later."

I took James forward to the cockpit and knocked on the door. Cory's voice said "Come on in!" Katie turned to see who it was "Hello James! Hi, sweetheart! Come back for another go at flying?" I gave Katie a quick kiss "No...James has a very important question for you and he can't wait for an answer." Katie smiled "Ask away!" James looked down at his shoes then looked at her "Is it alright if I go with you and daddy on the sailboat to the island? I can help and I'll be a good boy!" She thought about it for a minute or two then said "I'll have to think about it. In order for you to go we'd have to find a dry suit for you and I might not be able to in time. We have to leave tomorrow morning or we'll miss the good winds and seas which will make the journey longer and harder. When I get done with my shift I'll look into finding a dry suit that might fit you, OK?" He smiled "OK! I hope you can find one because I want to go with you and daddy. I want to learn how to sail the boat!" I stooped down and tousled his hair "Good...Lunch will be served soon, you go get ready for it and I'll be back there in a bit." He gave me a kiss and smiled "OK! I'm hungry!" with that he left and I sat down. John laughed "You dodged that bullet...for now!" She smiled "What bullet? He'd need a dry suit and I don't have one that'd fit him." Dave and Mark came into the cockpit "You two ready to hand off?" I got up and excused myself so they could transfer control and waited outside for them. After a minute or two Katie came out "That was fun! I'm beginning to like flying jets." She looked around to see if anyone was watching us then stood on her tippy toes and kissed me quite passionately to which I responded in kind. We were interrupted by John's laughter "Get a room! _Jeez..."_ We parted and she giggled "At least you didn't throw a bucket of water on us..." We went over to the galley so they could get some coffee then went aft to join the others, as we walked she said "I think I know someone who might have a suit his size that we can borrow. Remember Harvey? One of his grandsons is about James's size, maybe a bit bigger. Hmmm...I'll send him an email and ask him. I'd need to know what size clothing James wears and his shoe size. Now, the question is do you want him to come with?" I thought for a moment then said "We're taking the twins and I know you wouldn't risk their lives if you thought something bad would happen. Of course, I realize that we can't predict those kinds of things but as you so often point out the mere act of living is a risky business in and of itself. Louisa and Stephan don't seem to have a problem with it otherwise I wouldn't have let him ask you."

Everyone had sat down at the table and lunch was being served so we joined them. James asked "Did you find one?" Katie laughed "Patience, young padawan! I haven't had a chance to look but I think I know someone that I might be able to borrow one from. My question to you is have _you_ asked your brothers and sisters if it's alright with them. It might not seem fair to them that you get to go when they can't." Brian spoke up "He asked us before he asked the grownups and we told him it'd be OK if he got to go with you. We'll all get to go next year and we're going to have a lot of fun. We're going to go skiing!" Katie smiled "That does sound like a lot of fun! I haven't been skiing in a couple of years. Where are you going?" Stephan replied "There are two ski areas by Queenstown called The Remarkables and Cornet Peak. We'd never been skiing before and when we were doing our research into things to see and do we hit on this and decided to go skiing for the week." Katie smiled "A ski and sea holiday, that's what I did for years. Both of the areas you mentioned are quite nice and have good beginner's areas, there is a tubing area at The Remarkables that is a lot of fun, too. If you have the time, take the shuttle over to Treble Cone for the day." Louisa said "Too bad you can't join us, it'd be nice to have someone along who's familiar with the area." Katie sat and thought for a moment "Hmmmm...That wouldn't be a bad idea for next year. The twins would be old enough for day care while we went skiing..." She looked at me wiggled her eyebrows and smiled "Wanna go skiing?" I replied "Um, I don't think I'd be any good at it." She patted my hand "Hun...you didn't think you'd be any good at scuba diving and you are, you didn't think you'd be any good at Kitesurfing and you're excellent at it. You didn't want to go ice skating but they dragged you out on the ice and you skate quite well now. Hell, you didn't want to play in that game of flag football at the hospital picnic last year and you turned out to be an excellent free safety. You didn't want to play dodge ball at the picnic either but you rocked at it. I think you'd be quite good at skiing, though you might prefer snowboarding-either way you'd be excellent at it. It's all in how you learn and the people you are with. Your problem is that you still think in terms of the sports you were forced to play at school; those weren't suited to your temperament or abilities. You weren't any good at those so you think you aren't good at _any_ sports." I still wasn't convinced or comfortable with the thought so I said "We'll see..." Katie was about to reply when the chorus of "We're hungry!" cries emanated from the baby monitor. They had their lunch earlier and they wanted their afternoon snack, we excused ourselves and went to attend to them.

After they were fed, changed and cuddled they were sleepy and so we went to our cabin and laid them down in their cot. We were sleepy too so decided to take a nap ourselves. As we climbed into bed Katie said "If we can get 4-5 hours of sleep we'll be good to go once we hit Christchurch. They'll probably sleep for two or three hours before they'll want to eat again." We started to kiss as our hands started to caress each other. Katie giggled "We aren't going to get much sleep this way!" I smiled "Perhaps...but it will be _quality_ sleep after we're done." She nibbled my ear and whispered "I _always_ prefer quality over quantity..."


	113. Chapter 113: Hector's Dolphins

**_Chapter 113: Hector's Dolphins_**

I was awakened by the twin's babbles and giggles; they were sitting up and playing in their cot. I looked at my watch, we'd gotten about three hours of sleep which was pretty good. I gave Katie a kiss as I woke her "Time to get up, sweetie..." Her eyes opened and she kissed me back "I take it that the 'Babbling Babies of Bluebonnet Boulevard' are awake..." She rolled over to look at them sitting up in their cot "They're getting better at sitting by themselves, soon they'll be crawling all over the place. We're gonna need a bigger corral." We rolled out of bed and took a quick shower with a friend while they were amusing themselves and their bottles warmed. Once that was done we changed their nappies, as I was changing William he said 'dada' and giggled. We looked at each other then I said "That's right, I'm your dada." and gave him a kiss. He patted my face and said 'dada' again. Katie said as she picked up Elizabeth and started to feed her "It's a wise child who knows his own father." I started to feed William and said "What is Homer Quotes for 200 dollars?" Katie giggled "Poor baby...we played too much 'Jeopardy' while you were laid up." I thought back to that time as I fed him. I was dreadfully bored and getting frustrated so Katie tried to find ways to keep me entertained. She'd feed me cubes of jelly, read to me, we'd talk and play some games. We tried chess but it was hard for me to concentrate for that long with the medication I was on so she tried some games that didn't need long periods of concentration. One of those was 'Jeopardy'; it was enough to give my mind a light workout, didn't require a lot of concentration and we enjoyed playing it. Katie said "What are you thinking about, babycakes?" I replied "I was thinking about the times we played 'Jeopardy' while I was in the hospital. I owe you a debt of gratitude for what you did during that time; you turned a miserable experience into a tolerable and, in a strange way, enjoyable one." She caressed my cheek "It was my pleasure! You never had anyone to take care of you when you were sick or hurt before. You always dealt with it alone or had the bare minimum of care. You didn't have anyone to comfort you, cube you, kiss your boo-boo's and keep you occupied. Now you do."

After William and Elizabeth were fed, winded, changed again and cuddled we packed everything up and went to join the others, except that there were no 'other's" to join. Everyone except the flight crew was asleep. Katie and I played with the twins and I was rewarded with a few more 'dada's out of William and even one out of Elizabeth. Katie said with feigned sadness "They don't love me!" I gave her a cuddle "It's easier for a baby to say 'dada' then 'mama' at this age given the structure of their mouths and muscle development. They'll be saying 'mama' soon, sweetie." She giggled "I know...then I'll be hearing that for the rest of my life." I stood up "Want something to drink?" she replied "Some water would be nice, thank you. I'm feeling a bit dehydrated." I smiled and said as I walked towards the galley "Not _everywhere_..." She laughed "Nasty man!" I heard her giggle and say to the twins "Did you know your dada is a nasty man? _Yes he is!_ But we still love him..." I brought her water and my coffee then sat down beside her. I said to the twins who were sitting up and looking at me with their bright eyes "Look what your mama did to me..." I unbuttoned my shirt "_Bad mama!" _The twins thought it was funny and giggled, Katie said to them "I'm not bad...your dada _made_ me do it!" I buttoned my shirt and said in mock indignation "I most _certainly_ did not!" She started to laugh "Yes you did! It was either that or make some noises that would've woken them up..." I shrugged and smiled "It's a fair point..." Stephan came in with Kate and sat her down with the twins "What are you laughing about?" Katie replied "We were discussing the quality of my parenting skills." He sat down with us and shook his head "I don't think I want to know..."

The children started to trickle out and started playing with the babies, James sat down next to me and gave me a kiss then started to play with the babies, too. They were enjoying all the attention and were babbling away and giggling. Louisa came out a couple of minutes after "Everything's packed and ready to go...how long before we get there?" Katie looked at the flight track "About an hour." She opened her tablet and looked at the new weather forecasts "Oh, that's going to be _fun_...there's a low forming in the Tasman Sea off the coast of Australia..." She watched the animation a couple of times then stepped through it frame by frame. James watched her and what was displayed on the tablet "What does that mean?" She manipulated the animation and described what she was looking at "Watch that little low off Australia and the big one down here...the arrows show wind speed and direction on this map, wave height and direction on the other. If this forecast holds and we hit it _just right_ we can knock a day off the journey, easy. Maybe even two..." She traced a line with her finger "What we need to do is work our way up the backside of this big low then squeeze between the backside of the little low and the high pressure system following it _just right_ and we'll be able to reach or run all the way and cut the distance we need to travel. Negotiating the transition will be a bit bumpy because of the cross seas but the waves aren't forecast to be too high... If we hit it wrong or it doesn't pan out you'll get to learn how to beat to windward and tack." James asked what tacking was and she explained it to him, he remarked "That isn't much fun." She smiled "It _can_ be with this boat and it is a necessary skill to learn if you're going to sail." He smiled "Am I going to learn how to sail the boat?" She showed him the email she received from Harvey "Aye...I do want you to understand that once we set sail we don't stop until we get there. I'm not trying to talk you out of it or anything...I just want you to understand that if you choose to go we aren't turning around and going back if you decide that, after a day or two, you'd rather be skiing with the rest of the family." He nodded seriously "I understand and I want to go with you and daddy."

The landing and going through customs went rather smoothly though we did have a great deal of luggage and equipment which slowed things down some. John accompanied us as far as customs, he and the plane were going on to Auckland for the night. When we were ready to go we all thanked him and Katie and he hugged "Happy landings, hun! Thank you so much for making this possible and please thank Mr. Crosby for all of us!" John kissed her cheek "My pleasure, Pookie, it was fun flying with you again! I'll try to come down and see you, can't promise it though-don't know what the boss has up his sleeve. Be careful out there!" She smiled "You know me, I always am. If you do you get a chance to come down you'll be most welcome, if not we'll see each other soon." We waved goodbye to him then went out and loaded up the children and the vehicle. As we did I looked at her and smiled "Pookie?" She giggled "Yes...I loved the Garfield cartoons when I was a kid and Pookie is Garfield's teddy bear." Katie had rented an estate wagon for her and Louisa to go grocery shopping with and Louisa and Stephan had rented a Highlander for the week. Stephan and I got in the Highlander and started on the journey to Akaroa and Katie and Louisa headed off to the grocery store. The children we remarking to each other on all the interesting and different things they were seeing along the way while Stephan and I talked about a variety of things. As we approached the part of the road that goes over the mountain I said "From here to Akaroa it's very curvy so be careful. Fortunately it's fairly warm so the road should be dry. None of the children had been in terrain like this before and they were enjoying this part of the drive with Andrew's remark of "This is like being on a roller coaster!" summing up all their commentary quite nicely. Stephan said "This is a beautiful country, it's no wonder Katie wanted to live here." I replied "I agree. She has some land west of Queenstown, I've only seen pictures of it but it is quite beautiful there, too. Maybe someday we'll build a home on it..." He was surprised "You two thinking about moving here?" I looked out at the bay "Not immediately...perhaps when I retire. After what happened in London my perspectives on the world and life in general have changed. Some of the things I thought were important don't seem so anymore..."

We arrived at the wharf to find the Isilme tied up alongside. The children piled out of the Highlander and ran down the wharf to see the sailboat. Stephan laughed "Let them get it out of their system, they've been cooped up on the plane for a long time. They are so excited to be here, too, they've talked about nothing else for months." I agreed and we stood there and enjoyed the view of the hills and the harbor while they explored. Stephan took in a deep breath "Ah, fresh air...This place is gorgeous; I wouldn't mind living here, too." I watched the children as they went down to the end of the wharf, something had caught their interest down there "It is a beautiful place...and it's nice to be back here. I wonder what they're up to down there..." Stephan saw what I was referring to "Maybe we should go see." We opened the car and started taking the babies and their car seats out of the car. All three of them were sound asleep, which surprised me because William and Elizabeth don't like being in them for a long time. We made sure the babies were bundled up and headed down the pier. As we got closer we could hear Samantha exclaim "Look! There's another one! What are they?" James replied "Those are Hector's Dolphins...they are the smallest of all the Dolphins and they only live here." I smiled; he is so like me in so many ways. The first time I was allowed to go to Joan's farm for the summer I spent many days in the library learning about the plants, animals, birds and butterflies that I might see in 'exotic, far away, Cornwall'. I thought to myself if I only had parents like he has... I said "That's correct, James. Now...If we get the things from the car onto the boat we can spend the rest of the afternoon watching the wildlife. Towards sundown we might be able to see a penguin or two." The children thought that was a good idea, too. They ran back down the wharf to the car and started carrying the lighter bags to the boat. Stephan and I both laughed and he said "Penguins are always a good incentive with children. I don't know why, they just are. I've never met a child that doesn't love penguins." I said "Perhaps it's because they have been so anthropomorphized in books and other media. Probably more than any other wild animal I can think of." Stephan thought for a moment "You know, that might be it, I really hadn't thought about that before."

We arrived back at the boat about the same time the children showed up with the first wave of bags, I got on the boat and unlocked the door to let everyone in, as they piled in I took the twins down to our cabin and laid them down on the bed. Stephan laid Kate down next to them. I gently touched their foreheads and caressed their cheeks to make sure they weren't running a fever "I'm amazed they've slept this long." Stephan nodded "Me too! I'd half expected Kate to be up by now...well, let's leave sleeping babies lie, shall we?" I chuckled "I concur." We went into the saloon where the children had arrived with the second wave of bags and were looking around. Brian said "The only ones left are the ones with the Kitesurfing gear and the tent. I remember Katie saying when she and mummy were talking that those needed to go into a locker somewhere. I replied "That's right! They need to go into the storage areas in the fore peaks, so does the snorkeling equipment." James asked "What room am I going to sleep in, daddy?" I replied "We're going to put you in the aft cabin on the port side for the journey. The rest of the bags need to go into the forward cabin on the port side." The children started shifting the bags where they needed to go, Brian carried out the bags with the snorkeling gear back outside and set them on the table under the Bimini then went with Stephan and me back to the car for the Kitesurfing gear.

We made quick work of stowing the gear in the fore peaks and relaxed while waiting for Katie and Louisa to show up with the groceries. I checked to make sure the fridge and freezer were on, they were, then went out on deck. The children were nowhere to be seen. Stephan said "I gave them some money and sent them over to the deli for a treat. They deserve it." I went back in and brewed a pot of tea and brought out two mugs of it for Stephan and me. We sat back, sipped our tea and relaxed. I saw Harvey coming up the wharf with a bag "Hello, Dr. Ellingham, it's so nice to see you again!" I smiled "It's nice to see you again, too! How have you been?" He chuckled "Another year older but on the whole quite well. I brought a dry suit for your lad, it should fit. If it doesn't I have another, slightly bigger, one that might do the job." I introduced him to Stephan then went to pour him a cup of tea. He thanked me for the tea and laughed "Was that horde of children running to the deli yours, Stephan?" Stephan laughed "All except James, he's Martin and Louisa's. We've got three more below, two of those are Martin and Katie's, though." Harvey laughed and slapped me on the back "Congratulations! You two didn't waste any time, did you? Ye gods, you're going to have a full boat for the journey!" I replied "They are flying over once we get the boat up there. Katie, James, the twins and I are the ones that will be sailing her, the rest are going skiing while we sail." Harvey replied "Smart thinking..." he took an envelope out of his jacket "I almost forgot to give this to you. That new boat of yours is going to be a beauty from what I read on the application. It's a bit large to moor at the Isilme's current site so when she gets here it will be moored at the location listed in the packet. All we'll need are the estimated date of arrival, boat's registration and the rest of the paperwork for it. I take it that Akaroa will be listed as her home port..." I replied "Yes. Did Katie tell you we're moving the 'Isilme' to England?" He nodded "Yes, she did. She asked me in an email she sent a couple of months ago if I knew a good charter captain and crew to do the job and we have that all sorted. They'll be moving her next May."

We saw Katie and Louisa coming down the wharf with some of the groceries so we all got up to give them a hand. I gave Katie a kiss as I took the bags off her "Have fun shopping?" Katie laughed "We've got everything and _then some!_ How are the twins?" I replied "Still asleep." She smiled "They'll be getting up soon so we'd better get the rest of the stuff on board before they do." She gave Harvey a hug and kiss "How ya doing, hun? I missed you!" He smiled "I'm well! Your husband tells me that you're a mum now, congratulations! It's about damned time! I brought my grandson's dry suits and the packet with the mooring information." The children had come back and with them we made short work of loading the provisions onto the boat. Katie started unpacking and organizing the groceries while the rest of us relaxed and talked. Louisa offered to help but she said "It's easier if I do it, I know where it all needs to go and how to secure it. You go relax with the others, hun." As Katie worked Stephan went over and checked them into the hotel where they had reserved some rooms for the night. I helped James try on the dry suits, the larger of the two fit him well so I returned the other to Harvey. "Thank you for the use of the suit, it's most appreciated!" He replied "No problem, glad I could help. Well, I'd best be off, the missus will have tea on the table soon and she hates it when I'm late. I'll see you tomorrow and it was nice meeting you all!"

The sun was setting so the older children went down to the end of the wharf to look for penguins and watched the other wildlife in the harbor, when Stephan came back he went down to keep an eye on them. The babies had all woken up so we changed them and brought them up on deck to enjoy some fresh air while their dinner and bottles were being warmed. Katie and Louisa had already rigged up the hook on chairs for the babies and set their placemats out. They had spent some time when they were organizing everything for the trip in picking out the right ones to bring and deciding on which colors to get. I was sitting at my desk in our office at home catching up on some paperwork while they were doing so and made the mistake of commenting that I spent less time preparing for a heart transplant procedure then it was taking them to pick out the colors of three hook on chairs. That comment earned me a very well-aimed and very well thrown stuffed rabbit to the head. I threw it back at her and missed. She laughed and stuck her tongue out at me to which I said "Don't stick it out unless you plan on using it." She _did_ use it, but _not_ in the way I'd hoped for. By the time we had them fed and changed it was getting dark and quite cool so the others came back to the boat and warmed up for a bit then we all went to Vangionis for dinner. Katie had made a reservation for us the week before because they could accommodate all of us and they made great pizza "The older children will be happy because they'll get to have pizza, the adults will be happy because they have good food there that _isn't_ pizza and hopefully the twins and Kate will be angels and either sleep through it or quietly amuse themselves." It worked out as planed-the older children enjoyed their pizza, the adults had a delicious dinner that _wasn't_ pizza and the babies were surprisingly well-behaved and babbled quietly among themselves. Louisa remarked that it seemed Katie hardly ever ate fish or seafood to which she replied "I grew up eating fish twice a day and spent each summer working for my dad cleaning and cooking his client's fish so I guess I got 'fished out' when I was young. I'll eat it at home because Martin loves his fish but if I'm out to dinner fish is the_ last_ thing I'll order. I'm allergic to shellfish so that's off the menu for me unless I want to go into anaphylactic shock. Been there, done that, didn't enjoy it."

Tomorrow was going to be a busy day for all so after dinner they dropped us and James off at the wharf and went to their hotel. In the morning we'd put to sea and they'd drive over to Queenstown. We were leaving very early in the morning so we said our goodbyes and waved as they drove off. James put his hands in Katie and my free hands and we walked down the wharf together. Once on board I helped James get ready for bed while Katie put the twins in theirs. I tucked James in and kissed him good night "I love you, son! Sweet dreams..." He kissed me back "Good night, daddy, I love you! I'm so happy I get to go with you and Katie..." She came in and gave him a good night kiss then put her arm around me "I'm glad you could come with us. Good night, sweetie!" We switched the lights in the saloon to the red night lights then got ready for bed ourselves. Katie set the alarm clock for 5am then climbed into bed and cuddled up next to me under the fluffy duvet. I sighed in sleepy contentment and kissed her "God, it feels wonderful to be back here again. I love you, sweetheart..." She kissed me then snuggled up closer to me "I agree...it's good to be back...I love you, babycakes..." All of the cares of the last few months started to melt away as we were rocked gently to sleep by the motion of the boat.


	114. Chapter 114: You Are My Teacher

**_Chapter 114: You Are My Teacher_**

I woke up to an empty bed. The dim light of dawn was creeping in and I could hear Katie moving about on deck. She was already walking the boat making her final checks of everything before we head out to sea. I showered, performed my morning hygiene routine and dressed then put my dry suit on. All the children were sleeping so I went up on deck, it was cold with a biting breeze-the low clouds were moving rapidly across the sky. Katie was in the port storage locker so I walked over there "Good morning, sweetheart! Something wrong?" She jumped about a foot then laughed "GAH! You startled me! Nope, just making sure everything is secured and getting the net out of storage. We're ready to go, the weather is perfect! Southwest wind, waves from the southwest...that low in The Ditch is petering out already so we're back to our regular course but everything looks quite favorable for that." I helped her climb out of the locker "The Ditch?" She came up on deck and we kissed in the early morning light, when we parted she said "Kiwi slang for The Tasman Sea." She closed the locker, secured it and picked the pile of white rope netting up "That was the last thing that needed to be checked, we're ready to go. Oh, I do need you to help me put the safety net up." I replied "What safety net?" She smiled "It's a net that goes around the exposed part of the Bimini. If we're sitting outside with the twins or James there's no way of them accidentally flying off into the sea if we drop off a wave or something." I smiled "Good Idea! I didn't know you had something like that." We walked over the Bimini and started attaching the net "Yes, I also have a clear plastic enclosure for it. I used it in the southern ocean to keep it wind and sleet free. That kept the boat a bit warmer and kept ice off that portion of the deck."

James had woken up and came on deck in his robe, pajamas and slippers. I stopped for a moment to give him a hug and kiss "Good morning, James! You ready to go?" He hugged and kissed me back "Yes! I'm _so_ excited!" Katie smiled and gave him a hug and kiss, too "Good morning, sailor! Soon as we finish putting the net up we'll have some breakfast, get you into your dry suit and head out to sea." He smiled "Is there something I can do to help?" I replied "The best thing you can do to help at the moment is to go below and wash up then get dressed. Put on those fleece trousers and jacket we got for you, it's cold out here. We're almost done putting this up." He ran back inside and we both laughed and I said "I don't think I've ever seen him more excited by anything...maybe when he took that helicopter ride." Katie smiled "I think he'll be OK on this trip. He is his father's son, after all." I finished attaching the net to the roof of the Bimini "What do you mean by that?" She finished attaching the net to the transom "He is an intelligent, inquisitive boy who is mature for his age. He loves to learn new things and doesn't need to be constantly 'entertained' by something or someone. Those traits will override much of what any other child of his age might feel on a trip like this. Your average kid would be bored out of his gourd after the second day-no internet, no TV, no other 'human generated amusements' such as going to a movie or down to the shops." I thought for a moment "Yes...I _was_ like that when I was young. Though my circumstances during that time were opposite of what his are." She gave me a hug and snuggled close to me "I _know_...my poor baby."

The twins had woken up so James helped me with them while Katie made breakfast for all. I was rather surprised when he offered to help; he said "I help mummy all the time with Kate. I know how to change a nappy and feed little babies. When I grow up and become a daddy I'll already know how to take care of little babies." I gave him a hug "That's a good boy! I'm sure mummy and Stephan appreciate your help. I appreciate your helping me with them. Thank you!" I gave him a kiss "I love you, son! He smiled and kissed me back "I love you, too!" We carried them up to the saloon and put them in their chairs. Katie had their breakfast ready so James and I fed and winded the twins while she made our breakfast. She said with a smile "What do you _big,_ _strong_ men want for breakfast?" James and I opted for egg and soldiers, Katie made some porridge with chopped apples for herself. The adults had coffee, James had cocoa and there was orange juice and fruit for all. As we ate the twins watched us from their chairs and joined our conversation when they weren't playing with their toys. James was in a hurry to leave and was bolting his breakfast "Slow down, James...the ocean isn't going anywhere. You might get sick if you eat too fast." At one point William pointed at me and said 'Dada', I smiled and said "That's right! You're a clever little boy!' Then he pointed at James and said 'Dada'. The expression on James's face was priceless and we both started laughing, Katie picked William up "James isn't Dada; he's your big brother." I'd finished eating so I took William while she picked up and held Elizabeth "I love you, Elizabeth..." Elizabeth rewarded her by baby kiss and saying 'ma...mama...'. Katie smiled "Did you hear that? She called me mama!" She kissed her "That's right! I'm mama! You're so smart!" Elizabeth giggled and said "Mama...mamamamamamamama." then she looked at me and said 'dada'. I kissed her "That's right! I'm dada!" Thankfully she didn't call James 'dada'; he was still blushing from being called 'dada' by William.

I washed and put away the breakfast dishes while Katie and James got the babies bundled up, in their life vests and ready to go. When they were set we helped James into his dry suit and deckvest and I explained how to use the items on it. "I know that what I'm about to tell you may sound scary and the odds of you having to use any of these items are very small but you _do_ need to know how to use them. If you fall into the water the life vest will inflate automatically, there is a yellow spray hood that will pop out with it. It has a window in it so you can see. If you go into the water put that over your face and pull it down to the bottom of the life vest, it will keep you from getting splashed in the face. Don't worry; you will be able to breathe. This is something called an AIS beacon. If you fall overboard pull this little pin out and twist the handle as soon as possible. What it does it sends an alarm and a signal to the navigation system on the boat that pinpoints your location so we can find you quickly, it also has a flashing beacon so we can see you when we get close. In this pouch is something called an EPIRB, this is only to be used only in _dire__ emergency_ such as if the boat sinks and you are all alone. If you are with us we will tell you when to turn it on because we'll need to use them one at a time to increase the length of our location signals-we'll be far from land and it will take some time for help to get to us. What it does is sends a signal to a satellite and it calls all available rescuers to your position. The battery only lasts 48 hours on it. **_Always_** use the AIS first. Now, you _won't_ be falling into the water because you will be wearing a life line at _all times_ while on deck once we clear the channel. When we get outside we will show you how to put it on and use it. In this little pouch is a safety line cutter. Use this only in _dire emergency_ such as you're being dragged underwater and will drown if you don't cut it. Do you have any questions?" James looked at all of it and said "No...and I'm not scared because I know I'll be safe with you and Katie." I gave him a hug "Good!" Katie smiled and said "Time and tide...Let's go!" James cheered and said "What can I do to help?" I said "I'll go out on the wharf and untie the boat, I'll throw the rope to you and you coil it up like we showed you, OK?" He nodded and went to forward to be ready to catch the line. Harvey had just arrived and was walking up the wharf, he called out "I'll cast you off..." I got back on the boat and said "Thanks!" Katie waved at him as she started the engine "Kia Ora, Harvey! It's a good day for sailing!" He laughed "You're about the only person I know that _enjoys_ sailing in the winter; it's too cold for the rest of us." She smiled "This is positively _tropical_ compared to the Southern Ocean!" He replied "I wouldn't know...You're the only person I know that is willing to sail there." She started to maneuver and turn the boat around "You mean I'm the only person you know that's _crazy _enough to!" He waved and smiled "Aye...You five be careful out there...fair winds and following seas!" We all waved and I called out to him "Thanks for everything, Harvey! See you in a couple of weeks." Katie swung the boat towards the channel and we were off.

We cleared the point and were in the channel "OK, young man. Take us out to sea." James was stunned and thought she was joking "You mean _me_?" She smiled and said "Yes, _YOU!_ You _aren't_ a passenger on this voyage, Mr. Ellingham, you are a member of the crew! The best way for you to learn is by doing and you need to get a feel for the helm. We'll be right here...see this monitor?" He nodded "That is the navigation and chart monitor. Keep the little arrow on the red line, that is our course. When we get close to the channel mouth one of us will take over so you can observe what is required to convert from engine power to sail." James giggled and said "Yes, ma'am!" then stepped up and took the helm, as he did so Katie stepped aside. I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her while we watched James as he piloted the boat down the channel. After a few minutes she kissed me and said "I'm going inside to set up the baby corral, if you need me let me know." I smiled and said "Yes, ma'am!" She giggled and swatted me "Oh, quit it!" I smiled and said "Yes, ma'am!" She pinched my bum to which I said "Stopit!" She laughed and said "No, sir!" James looked over his shoulder "You two are being silly!" Katie laughed "Yes, we are! We can be serious and still have fun. Just relax, it will be OK."

She left James and I on deck and went inside to erect the 'Corral de los pequeños marineros'. I had watched her construct it a couple of weeks ago. It was one of those things that reminded me of just how intelligent and clever she is. We were trying to think of a way to allow the twins to have a place to play and crawl around in that would be safe for them on the boat. We couldn't use a traditional playpen because it would slide all over and if we dropped off a wave they'd bounce right out of it. She had an idea to build one that was lightweight, easy to pack and carry on the plane and would give them a place to play and be safe if we dropped off a wave or something. She bought a thick single bed foam mattress pad, canvas, toilet plungers, PVC pipes and caps for them, foam insulation for those pipes, a couple sizes of lifting eye bolts, Velcro, white barrier netting, mini bungee cords and some small locking carabiners. She cut the pipes to fit an area the size of the mattress pad, put eye bolts into the lower end of the pipes that were going to serve as the 'fence posts' and in the caps on the rest. Then she dismantled the toilet plungers and glued the plunger part to the ends of the pipes without the caps. She made Velcro loops to attach the netting to the fence posts and cut it to fit. Once that was done she made little Velcro loops to connect one end of the net with the other so it'd be 'pen shaped'. Then she connected the cross supports with the carabiners and adjusted them so they were tight. For the floor she covered the mattress pad with canvas leaving an opening at one end so the pad could be removed which she sealed with Velcro and added about six inches of material to the sides of it then attached Velcro loops to those at regular intervals. When she was done with that she attached that to the bottom of the corral and made adjustments. To keep them from bouncing out in rough weather she cut another piece of netting to fit the top and hooked it to the frame using the bungee cords. It took her all of five hours to build-she had no diagrams or design drawings, it was _all_ in her head. When it was done she stood there, laughed and said "Et voilà! Instant baby corral! Lightweight yet sturdy...Easy to assemble, easy to store, easy to carry-I have an old ski bag that it will fit in. The suction cups will hold it firmly in place. The netting is industrial strength and won't break. The top net is easy to put on and take off and will keep them from flying out. They'll have plenty of room to move and play in and we can move easily around it in the saloon. We can watch them from on deck and they can see and hear us. When not in use but we don't want to store it we just pull the suction cups up, move it aside and push the suction cups back down to hold it in place. _Genius!"_

James was doing well at maneuvering the boat, he kept us on course while looking for any hazards. He also remarked on the scenery and animals he was seeing. At one point a couple of Hector's Dolphins swam along with us for a couple of minutes, I took the helm so he could watch and take some video of them. "They came to wish us a good journey, daddy! I heard the fishermen say back home that if dolphins escort you out to sea that you will have a good journey. Is that right?" I smiled "Sounds about right to me. In ancient times the Greeks and Romans considered the dolphin a symbol of protection and guidance." When the dolphins had swum off to find some fish he came back and relived me. As he did so he gave me a hug "This is the best holiday ever! I hope we get to see some whales, too!" I replied "We might as we get a bit farther north. We also might see some Spinner Dolphins, too." Katie came on deck with Elizabeth and handed her to me then went back in for William. They both seemed to enjoy looking at all the new sights, the sunlight twinkling on the water and the birds flying to and fro and were well bundled up so they weren't cold. Katie said "How's it going, James?" He replied "Good! Daddy said I was doing a very good job." I added "At first he tended to under steer. Once he got used to it he has done very well and steered a precise course." The headlands came into sight and the water started getting rougher so we put the children into the corral and secured them. I relieved James at the helm and started to prepare for the conversion from engine to sail. Katie showed him how to attach the safety line to his vest and to the boat then we all hooked on. Both of us explained to James what we were doing and why and answered his questions. Once we cleared the headlands I cut the engine and switched the props to generator mode, adjusted the daggerboards, started to shift the center of gravity of the boat aft by pumping the diesel and water into their aft tanks, raised the mainsail and Code 0 and tacked out on a reach for about 10 miles then turned northeast. I raised the gennaker and trimmed the other sails and she started to fly.

It was a perfect, if cool, day to be at sea and James was very surprised by it all. He had never been on a sailboat before and thought it would go a lot slower than we were going. Once I had things set up I said to James "Want to take the helm for a while?" He grinned "Can I?" I nodded "Certainly...it's a bit different from operating it with the engines but I'll be here with you to teach you what to do. Just keep us going on the red line just like you did in the harbor." I stood behind James and rested my hands on his shoulder as he manned the helm. He looked up at me and smiled a smile that said a thousand words, I returned it. Katie snapped a couple photos of us, when I saw them later one of them was a wonderful photo of us two that eventually joined my photo collection in my office. It was a side profile of us, James hands were on the helm and I was standing behind him with my hands lightly resting on his shoulders. The sun shone on our windblown hair-his the same golden color as mine, the only difference was that mine had a _lot_ of silver intermingled with the gold. I had never really noticed before how much we look alike in profile before I saw that photo. After she had finished she went inside for a couple of minutes and returned with cocoa for James and coffee for us. She said "You two must've worked up a thirst by now. Put her on autopilot and let's relax for a while." I showed James how to engage the autopilot and we all sat under the Bimini and enjoyed our drinks. As we sat there Katie pointed towards the west "Take a look, James...that will be the last land you see until we get to the island. The next couple of days all you'll see are sea and sky..." He sat there for some time watching the land recede in the distance and lost in thought. I put my arm around Katie and she leaned into me and we watched the land start to vanish along with James. After some time James said "Look! What is that?" We both looked towards where he was pointing; I grabbed the binoculars and looked "It's a pod of Dusky Dolphins". I handed him the binoculars and he watched them for a few moments "Wow! One just jumped into the air and did a back flip!" I replied "They do a lot of aerial acrobatics...Maybe, if we're lucky, they'll swim closer to us and follow the boat for a while." Katie laughed "They might...it seems this boat puts out some interesting vibrations in the water. I've had a lot of whales and dolphins come over to investigate the boat when it's in motion. Anyway...I'd better get the twins lunch ready before the natives start to get restless. Once I get them squared away I'll start on lunch for the rest of us." I gave her a kiss "Want some help?" She smiled "Nope, I'll be fine."

James and I resumed our work of manning the helm. I took over for him so he could watch the dolphins and the birds. They did swim over to investigate the boat and swam along with us for a while. After they had fallen off James sat next to me and watched me as I made adjustments to the sails and our course. He said "Daddy, can I ask you a question?" I replied "Sure..." I knew it was something important because he hesitated for a few moments "I was helping mummy go through some pictures she found and there were some of you and me when I was a little baby. You didn't smile in any of them and looked angry in some. Why? Didn't you like me?" I sighed "I always loved you from the moment I first saw you. I didn't know how to express it." He asked "Why not?" I had finished the adjustments to the sails and our course so I put the boat back on auto "Let's sit down under the Bimini for a bit..." When we were comfortable I put my arm around him and started "I know it may be hard for you to understand but I never smiled back then and I was almost always angry about something. I had been that way all my life-I never smiled as a child, I rarely smiled as an adult. I didn't have much to smile about. Before your mum and you came along I had always been alone, even as a child. I was brought up to show no emotion because to do so showed weakness and that would give people an opening to hurt me so I buried them all. You met my parents when you were in London and you said they were very nice to you, they _weren't _nice to me when I was growing up. Don't be upset by that because they were _very different people_ when I was growing up-they had many problems that made them behave the way they did towards me. I've forgiven them. In fact I don't think I ever truly felt happy until I saw you for the first time and I didn't know how to handle it because it was a new emotion for me. The other thing that was new is that I didn't know or understand anything about raising a baby. Sure, I could diagnose and treat them if they were sick but raising one was a foreign concept to me, so were all the emotions that went along with it. I was also having a very difficult time coping with living with your mum..." He looked at me "Why?" It took me a few moments to think of a way to explain it and couldn't think of one that would be adequate. "It is very hard to explain and I fear that you might not understand it or will get the wrong impression. I am not trying to avoid your question but I think that _both your mum and I_ need to explain it to you together so you truly understand what happened while we were married. When we get to the island we'll take some time and go somewhere away from everyone and try to if that will be acceptable to you. You need to hear _both sides_ of that story to understand it." He thought for a moment "Did something really bad happen?" I hugged him "That story involves many 'adult' things that may seem very bad or complicated to you as a child but are seen somewhat differently as an adult...That is why we both need to explain it to you so you can understand it." He replied "OK..." I smiled and gave him a hug "It'll be alright, don't worry. Now...To return to the subject of your question..._You_ were the one who taught me how to smile. _You_ were the one who taught me how to laugh. _You_ were the one who taught me how to give a hug and be comfortable being hugged. You have taught me _so much!_ Before you came into my life I didn't know how to do any of those things." He looked at me in wonder "I don't understand...I was just a little baby, I couldn't teach anyone anything." I gave him a kiss "You taught me by just being _you!_ You are the first being who ever loved me unconditionally and through your love I learned how to love. You changed my life and my being and I love you so much. _You are __my__ teacher and the best thing that has ever happened to me!" _He gave me a big hug then took a tissue out of his pocket and dabbed the tears from my eyes "Don't cry...I love you, daddy!" I hugged him tightly and kissed him "I love you _so much_ and that will never, _ever,_ change!" We held each other for some time, our eyes saying all that needed to be said to each other. I looked up for a moment to see Katie quietly come on deck to make the needed sail and course changes then she smiled at us and went back inside.

After some time Katie stuck her head out the door and said "Lunch is ready!" James said "I'm hungry! Sailing is hard work! I nodded "Yes it is! Let's get cleaned up so we can eat." The moment James walked into the saloon he recognized the smell and said excitedly "Are we having Tortellini?" Katie replied "We're having that for dinner. The sauce has to cook for a long time. Lunch is Maple Salmon, wild rice pilaf with cranberries, roasted carrots with a dash of cinnamon and salad O'Hara." I smiled "That does sounds good!" James ran down to the port bathroom to wash up and I headed to ours on the starboard side. After I finished I went to check on the twins, they were starting to drift off to sleep but smiled at me and said 'Dada' when they saw me. I touched their foreheads and cheeks then kissed them "Sleep well, sweethearts! Your daddy loves you very much!" Lunch was delicious; afterwards James and I washed the dishes while Katie went on deck for her shift at the helm. We had discussed it before we left and decided on six hour on, six hour off shifts with James doing pretty much what he wanted to do. He would have a set bedtime, though. No staying up past it unless there was something unusual going on or to see. Whoever was 'off shift' would care for the twins and prepare the meals though she had already taken care of dinner-all I had to do was boil the Tortellini and prepare the side dishes. During the afternoon James was up with Katie helping to sail the boat and watching the wildlife. I cared for the twins and took a nap while they were napping. We had explained to James that we'd be napping a lot while not on duty because of the shift schedule. Our goal on this voyage was to go as fast as possible-not only to keep up with the favorable weather but so we could try to get there as early as possible. We could get everything set up then relax until the rest joined us. The year before we were trying to do the same thing but didn't care one way or another. Plus if something did happen while we were asleep and the boat was on autopilot we didn't have to worry about a child and two babies.

After dinner I took my watch at helm and James joined me for a while until it was time for bed. We were treated to a magnificent sunset and when the stars came out James was amazed by them. He knew that they would be different than the ones he saw at home and had studied them but studying cannot truly prepare you to see them in person. I put the boat on autopilot and we all sat back and marveled at the night sky until it was time for James to go to bed. He had a big day and was asleep within minutes of getting into bed. The twins were asleep too so Katie and I sat out under the Bimini and cuddled while watching the stars wheel across the heavens. She laid her head on my shoulder and sighed "I wish we could stay out here forever. Life is so much simpler...sea, sky, stars and the ones I love." I laid my head on hers and sighed "So do I..." We were quiet, lost in our thoughts. I thought "Maybe I should tell her about the idea I had now..." then thought to myself "Wait...the time isn't right."


	115. Chapter 115: The Landmine of the Sea

**_Chapter 115: The Landmine of the Sea_**

"Martin...Martin...wake up!" I was awakened by the urgent tone of Katie's voice and her vigorously shaking me. I looked at my watch, it was a little after 4am on the fourth day of our voyage. "What's wrong...Is there something wrong with the boat?" She replied "Not with ours...Somebody's EPIRB went off about 70 miles south-southwest of us and we've been asked to divert and attempt a rescue. Other vessels are being diverted but we are the closest. The boat the EPIRB belongs to is a Beneteau Sense 55 with a German registry that left Auckland 4 days ago. They've tried raising it by radio without success." I rubbed my eyes "I'm not familiar with that boat, what would a crew on one consist of?" She replied "If I were to guess it's a couple or a small family-anything over six and it'd be crowded for a long voyage. German registration indicates to me they're probably sailing around the world or living on the boat and vagabonding around the SoPac. It's _not_ a cheap boat..." I swung out of bed and pulled on my trousers "OK...I'll wake James and tell him what's going on. It's better for him to know straightaway...Do you need help up top?" "Nope...Just gotta turn around and start heading that way. It's going to be a tack-o-rama. We'll need to shift some of the bags out of the forward port cabin, I think. We can put them in there and if there are more we can lower the dining table and convert that to a bed. We'll figure out something..." I took her in my arms and we kissed, she smiled "Sorry, this will knock off all the time we've gained but it's the first rule of the sea. You always go to the rescue if you can because you'd want others to do the same for you." I replied "I agree...anyway as you are so fond of saying 'A little less _talk_, a little more _do_.'" She giggled and started up the stairs, I pinched her bum which made her jump _"Stopit!"_ I replied "No, ma'am! It's payback for the day we left Akaroa." I started to go over to the port side to wake James and she pinched my bum as I passed "You're going to get it, _young lady!"_ she giggled and kissed me "I _hope_ so!" then went outside.

I could hear her changing sails and felt the boat turning into the wind and waves. I gently shook James "Wake up, James..." he rubbed his sleepy eyes and said groggily "It's still dark outside..." I gave him a kiss "I know and I'm sorry that I had to wake you...something has happened and I wanted to tell you before all the commotion woke you up and perhaps scared you. There is nothing wrong with our boat, we're safe. Something has happened to someone else's boat and we're turning around to go and help them." He yawned "Can I do something to help?" I smiled and gently swept the hair out of his eyes "The best thing you can do for now is try to go back to sleep for a while, it will be a couple of hours before we get to their last location. We will need your help later, though." He nodded sleepily and said "OK, daddy...I'll try to sleep more..." I kissed him "Sleep well, son...I love you!" He muttered "I love you..." I closed his cabin door then started to shift and stow the extra bags in the forward cabin, most of them I moved into the forward starboard cabin where the twins were sleeping. I managed to stow most of them in there without waking them. Katie must've seen to them before she woke me. They were definitely their mother's children-both were sleeping like the proverbial log despite the increased noise and motion of the boat. I gently kissed them then went to double-check the contents of my GP bag, I had fully restocked it before we left but it never hurts to check it before something like this. I then started thinking about what condition they might be in and what injuries they may have received and started making a triage plan in my head. I brought along two surgical packs just in case-you never know if you'll need them and if you do you'll be glad you have them.

I had finished all I could do to prepare so I showered and got dressed. Dawn would be arriving soon which would be helpful in trying to locate them and to see any hazards in the way. Judging by the noise and the boat's behavior Katie was pushing her as hard as she safely could. The display at the navigation table showed that we were a little more than 30 miles from them-their EPIRB was still operating and it would take us right to them. That is unless they got separated from it then it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. I put on my dry suit and deckvest then went out on deck. My question about the water temperature was immediately answered by spray that was hitting me in the face-cold, I'd guess not more than 12°C. If they went into the water when the EPIRB went off and weren't in a raft or in dry suits we might be retrieving bodies instead of rescuing people. We weren't equipped to deal with extreme hypothermia. I walked over to Katie and gave her a kiss "How's it going?" She swept her wet hair back out of her eyes and laughed "It's rough and wet...the waves aren't too bad which is a blessing. I've been close reaching and tacking my butt off. It's faster than a more direct course. The position of the EPIRB is moving with the wind so that's cut the distance a bit, I'm guessing from its rate of speed it's on a life raft. How are the children?" I replied "I woke James and told him what was happening. He wanted to get up and help but I told him to sleep a bit more. He's asleep. There is no doubt that you are the twin's mother-they're both sleeping like logs." She laughed "Are you insinuating that I sleep like a log?" I smiled "I don't need to, you _do."_ She started to giggle "I _could_ say something...but I won't!" I told her what my concerns were about what their physical condition might be, as I was doing so she interjected "I have a couple boxes of hand and sleeping bag warmers stowed in our cabin, would those help?" I didn't know what those were so she described them to me and suggested "Wrap the sleeping bag warmers in a towel so they don't burn their skin and place or tape them where you need them to go. Use clean socks for the hand warmers and do the same for smaller areas." I replied "Those might prove useful, where are they stowed?" She told me and I went back inside to get them out so they'd be on hand.

The twins were awake and wanted their breakfast so I bundled them up and secured them in their car seats while I made their breakfast. James had also woken up and came upstairs "Good morning, daddy!" I stooped down to give him a kiss "Good morning, James!" He kissed me back "What are we having for breakfast? I'm starving!" I smiled "I'm afraid all we'll have time for is porridge this morning. We're almost there and have to be ready at any time to pick those people up." He replied "That's OK! I like porridge...mummy puts honey on it and it's real good." I put the twins in their hook on chairs and started to give them their breakfast, James sat next to me and started helping me feed them, I gave him a hug "Thank you for helping, sweetie! It's much appreciated!" He smiled "I like helping...babies are funny when they eat. They sometimes make a big mess, though." Thanks to James we made quick work of feeding them both their cereal and their bottles. He helped me change and dress them, too. When done we placed them in their hook on chairs and James kept them occupied while I made breakfast for us. I brought his to the table "I made our porridge the way Katie makes it because I can't find the honey..." He smiled "How does Katie make it?" I replied "There are chopped apples and a touch of maple syrup in it. I think we're going to need the extra energy this morning." I made Katie some and put it in a mug and took it to her along with a travel mug of coffee "Ah...thanks babycakes! This will hit the spot! We should be rolling up on their location soon..." I replied "We're almost ready inside. The twins have eaten, James is eating and I'm going to go back in and eat my breakfast." She gave me a kiss "Good! Get in there and eat before it gets cold, sweetie!" I went back in to find James had finished his and was down in his cabin getting dressed; I quickly ate mine then washed and dried the dishes. By the time I had that done he'd come up and asked me to help him into his dry suit and deckvest. "James...when we get there what we'll need you to do more than anything at the beginning is mind the twins. We'll be helping those people and they might be ill or hurt. I know you want to help them too and you will but it's important that the twins are taken care of, too." He smiled "I know, that's what I'd planned on doing."

James kept the twins happy and occupied while I made preparations. Katie stuck her head in through the door and said "I can see them; I'll need your help, hun..." I looked at James, "You ready?" He nodded and continued with his game of peek-a-boo with the twins. I went out on deck and hooked up the life line. I saw an orange raft bobbing up and down about a half mile away. Katie said "I'm approaching them from downwind and am going to try to glide up on them slowly. Hopefully they'll either be able to take a line or if I get it just right we'll drift up beside them and hook the raft with the boat hook. If it gets too tricky I'll go get them with the tender." I grabbed the boat hook "What side you want me on?" She replied "Port." At about a quarter-mile away she sounded an air horn and we saw a head pop out from behind the door on the raft followed by a hand waving a green light. "Well, we know one of them is alive..." After a few minutes we did drift up close enough for me to hook the raft and guide it back to the transom where I secured it and helped them out of the boat. It was a small family-parents and two children not much older than James. We helped them aboard. They were cold but otherwise seemed alright. The man said as we ushered them inside "Thank you so much! My name is Bernard Richter, this is my wife Marina and our sons Klaus and Nicklas." I replied "Welcome aboard! My name is Martin Ellingham, this is my wife Katie, my son James and the babies are William and Elizabeth. Do you have anything in the raft that you need?" Bernard shook his head "No...We barely had time to get into our fleeces and dry suits, inflate the raft and get in it before the boat sank...we did remember to take our passports and wallets." Katie said "OK...what I'm going to do is sink it if that's alright with you. We don't have room on deck for it." Bernard sighed "That will be fine, it served us well." She went back outside to attend to that while I attended to the Richter's. James brought mugs of coffee for the adults and cocoa for the children while I gave them blankets and towels "I am a doctor. I would like to examine you to make sure you've suffered no ill effects from your ordeal, though it seems that you are all doing fairly well at first glance." Marina replied "We are cold and wet but were not injured. This coffee is a great help." They were all in full dry suits with hoods, gloves and boots and if they were wearing fleece I suspected that all they'd really need is a warm shower, dry clothes and rest. "We have two showers on board if you'd care to use them and I think we can find you some clothes to wear. If you'd like some food first we can certainly arrange that." Katie came in and said "The raft is on its way to the bottom where it'll stay until it gets recycled by the Tonga trench. I've contacted the RNZN and told them that we have you on board and all are safe and well. We were headed for Aitutaki but can divert to Rarotonga if you want." Bernard said "Whatever works best for you, we were on our way there, too." She replied "Ok...They'll need an incident report from you no matter where we land. I'll get us going again..."

Katie turned the boat, adjusted the sails and soon we were back on course and up to speed. Our guests showered and changed into some shorts and shirts we'd brought out for them, it was already getting warm and would be in the upper 70's. While they were doing so we took the twins outside for some fresh air and their mid-morning bottle, Katie put the boat on auto and we sat there and fed them. She yawned "I'm beat...Thank you for all your help, babycakes..." I replied "We all did an excellent job in preparing, James was especially helpful. Bernard did ask me why you were the one sailing the boat, apparently his wife leaves the sailing to him." Elizabeth had finished her bottle and Katie was winding her "I'm not surprised. If I were to venture a guess they decided a couple of years ago to chuck it all and sail around the world. He probably had grown up sailing but she didn't and he was teaching them how. Some people find it easy to learn, some don't...I got lucky, I found a husband who already knew how and just needed to learn how to sail a cat." She leaned over and kissed my cheek "I got lucky in more ways than that with you...I love you, Martin." I kissed her "I'm the lucky one, sweetheart...I love you" James and his new friends came out on deck "Don't mind them, they're _always_ doing that...Daddy, can we go sit up on the netting?" We were sailing a broad reach and the wind was holding steady so I said "OK, but all of you must be clipped onto the life line at _all_ times. If we're going to change sail configuration we might need you to move back here until that is done for your safety." They all nodded, clipped on the port line and moved forward. We watched them make their way up to the net foredeck. I smiled "Looks like James has made some new friends...I'm glad that my skills as a doctor were not required, I feared the worst and didn't want James to see that." Katie made a slight adjustment on the trim of the sails and sat back down "I am, too. It may be nice sitting on deck but the water is still pretty cold. They were fortunate they had the time to get properly dressed and deploy the raft before their boat sank. Did they say what happened?" I replied "Bernard said that they were asleep when they were literally knocked out of bed and water started pouring into their cabin. He said it looked like someone had taken a wrecking ball to the hull from the way the water was rushing in. He knew immediately the boat wouldn't stay afloat, there was too much water coming in. They got all got dressed, grabbed their papers and survival supplies, triggered an EPIRB and deployed the raft. They stayed tied to the boat for a while in hopes that it might level out and stay afloat but cast away when it was obvious that it was going down." Katie shook her head "Ah...Sounds like they hit a partially submerged shipping container-the landmine of the sea. Now you know why I spent the extra cash on the sonar. It has saved me on more than one occasion from hitting those damned things."

Bernard and Marina came out on deck to find my lovely wife at the helm dancing barefoot with a giggling and laughing Elizabeth and singing along with Ella Fitzgerald to "Take the 'A' Train" by Duke Ellington. They smiled and sat down, I smiled and shrugged. Bernard said "Americans _are_ different..." I nodded _"That_ one certainly is." We watched Katie as she showed Elizabeth how to adjust our course and trim the sails while singing "La Mer" along with Chantal Chamberland. Marina asked "Your wife does all the sailing?" I replied "No, we take shifts. This is her boat; well, we both own it now. She lived on it for a couple of years before we met and has sailed it solo around the world." Bernard sat back and sipped his scotch "This is excellent! Thank you! You said you were a doctor when we first boarded, do you have a practice in New Zealand?" I replied "No, I'm head of CVT surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas. Katie has dual citizenship and lived in Akaroa for some time." I sipped my espresso then said "What do you do for a living, Bernard?" He smiled "I _was_ a design engineer with Mercedes-AMG for over 20 years. A couple of years ago Marina and I decided it was time to leave Germany and see the world so we commissioned our sailboat. When it was ready we rented our home out, sold or stored our belongings except for those we took with us and set out to see the world. That was two years ago and we haven't looked back." Katie came over and said "We have a 'play pen' for the twins. It takes up some space in the saloon. I was wondering if it would be alright if I put it up so these two can play." We all said that it would be no problem "Could one of you hold Elizabeth for a minute or two so I can put it up?" Marina said "I'd be delighted to!" so she handed Elizabeth over and went inside. She came back out a few minutes later and took the twins and put them in their corral then came back out to sit with us. She sat next to me, put her head on my shoulder and sighed "Ah...now I can finally relax..." I put my arm around her "Why don't you go in and take a nap, sweetie. You've been up all night and half the day." She yawned and got up "Excuse me...That _does_ sound good...my back is killing me and my brain is turning to mush. See you in a couple of hours. Oh, don't forget to keep an eye on the boys out front on the nets."

The rest of the day went quite nicely. After lunch the boys went back out on the nets while everyone else took a nap. While they were napping I kept the sails trimmed and the boat on course; we were making very good progress and earning back some of the time we had lost in diverting. A little after 3pm Katie came up on deck, she sat down next to me and we kissed then she snuggled up next to me "How are things going?" I replied "Things are going well. Bernard and Marina are asleep, so are the twins. The boys are up front on the netting playing and watching for wildlife. We're on course and have been making good time." She looked into my eyes and cupped my cheek "How are things going for _you?_ I don't know what it is but ever since we left Akaroa I've felt there is something that is troubling you. Actually it goes back farther than that, ever since London. I get 'snippets' of it, every once in a while I catch you thinking about something and I can tell it's bothering you. I figured you'd tell me eventually when you have it sorted out in your mind but since we left Akaroa it's been weighing heavy on you." I pulled her close "Yes, I have had something on my mind. A lot of 'somethings'...I don't know if I can talk about them yet, though..." She smiled "It's OK...I understand. I just wanted to let you know that I'm here to help. I love you, Martin Christopher...I always have and I always will!" I looked into her beautiful green eyes and knew that she understood what I was struggling with though I couldn't find the words to express it yet. I held her tight and rested my head on her shoulder "Oh, Katie..." She caressed me and whispered "You've been through _so much_ over the last couple of months...Your body may have healed but your mind hasn't yet...It takes time for those scars to fade...Your troubles may seem complex but the answers to them are simple...I love you and am here for you..." As we held each other I felt so comforted and loved. After some time she said "Lay down and sleep, my love...you've had a long day." I did feel very tired so I lay down and rested my head in her lap and felt her hands caressing me as I fell asleep.

Sometime later I drifted gently along the borders of sleep and wakefulness. I laid there with my eyes closed-my mind peaceful, my thoughts tranquil, my body at rest. I felt Katie's fingers gently running through my hair and heard her say "...he needs to rest. He's been through a lot, he almost died in those terrorist attacks in London in June." Marina said "That explains the scars. We didn't want to ask about them in case it brought up unpleasant memories." Bernard sighed "I'm afraid these terrorists do not understand that they can push us only so far before we respond. We've been far too docile in dealing with them. I fear that once the world reaches the breaking point with them there will be a terrible war. That is part of the reason why we decided to slip away while we could. As long as you stay away from certain areas the world is still a lovely and peaceful place." Katie asked "What are you going to do? Are you going to buy another boat or go back to Germany?" Marina replied "We haven't discussed it yet though I would like to get a new boat and keep sailing. Bernard loves it, our sons love it and so do I. Maybe when they become teenagers we'll decide to settle down somewhere. We loved our time in New Zealand and Australia and have looked into their immigration requirements. We would qualify for both. Bernard's skills and talents are in high demand just about everywhere, he's not restricted to automobiles-he can work in mining, electrical, mechanical and structural fields." Bernard added "I still get emails from companies asking me if I'm ready to go back to work and if I am they'll hire me on my terms." Marina asked Katie if she worked "Not at the moment, I have my hands full with these three. Besides, I don't think any of them would take well to me being gone for five to six months of the year. I don't want to be away from them that long, either." Bernard said "What line of work were you in?" "I was a bush pilot; I also did a lot of work in Antarctica. I flew anything with a prop and helicopters. That job doesn't allow you to have much of anything that resembles a normal life. I love to fly but I love him much more. My job now is being a wife and companion to my husband and the best mother I can be to our children. I made my choice and I chose them. I have no regrets and am content and happy." Bernard chuckled "I've never known someone who was a bush pilot. I would imagine you have been to some interesting places and have some interesting stories to tell." Katie laughed "Oh, yeah...you _could_ say that!" She said to Marina "Could you hand me that pillow please? I need to get up to adjust the sails and check on the twins." She gently held my head in the same position it was and moved out from under it and slid the pillow under my head. I sat up sleepily "Hello..." Katie kissed me "Want something to drink, babycakes?" I rubbed the sleep from my eyes "Some water would be fine..." She said as she headed inside "Coming right up..."

I took over the helm and taught Bernard some of the differences in handling a multi hulled sailboat. I told him about my research project and its possible applications outside of the medical filed and we had an excellent discussion on that. Katie and Marina fed the twins then Katie taught Marina how to make her "Aussie Lamb Chops". The more we talked the more I grew to like them, so did Katie. James, Klaus and Nicklas were becoming good friends. We ate dinner under the Bimini in the light of the glorious sunset and sat back and relaxed for an hour or so. It'd been a very long day for all so we decided to leave up just enough sail to keep us going in the right direction at an easy pace and get a good night's sleep. Bernard was, after the events of the previous night, a bit leery about that but Katie told him "This boat is equipped with front scanning sonar and radar. According to vessel tracker there is no major shipping within 500 miles of us and if there is the radar will warn us. If there is floating debris larger than a small branch the alarm on the sonar will wake us in plenty of time to avoid the problem. The sonar scans down a good 300 meters, so if it's submerged we'll know about that, too. If you are uncomfortable with it, which I can totally understand given the circumstances, we can stop for the night but that doesn't preclude something drifting into us." Bernard sighed "I thought that front scanning sonar was an unnecessary expense but in retrospect I wish I had it installed... it _will_ be on our next boat."

We all bade each other a good night, Katie did one last check of everything to make sure it was functioning properly and rigged the boat for night running. I performed my nightly ablutions while she did so. Katie took a shower and prepared for bed then climbed into bed beside me. She snuggled up to me and we kissed. She giggled and said "Do you realize this is the first time we've been in the same bed at the same time since we left?" I smiled "Yes, I am _well aware_ of that fact." She ran her fingertips lightly down my chest "I have an idea or two on how we can get some good _quality_ sleep..." I turned out the light and caressed her breast "So do I..."


End file.
